


The Assassin

by Freyafx2



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Love, Modern Assassins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2021-02-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:08:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 42
Words: 63,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23856616
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Freyafx2/pseuds/Freyafx2
Summary: Lee Siyeon is an assassin, trained in the art of murdering and part of  a company ran by Dami.And she desperately wants to move up the hierarchy and become a Senior Assassin. The only thing in her way is Dami, who promises she can become one...but only if she agrees a to train a new assassin.The newbie is called Kim SuA.What will their story be?
Relationships: Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon
Comments: 3
Kudos: 55





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is created by myself and originally posted on Wattpad under Freyafx.  
> If anyone has read this on Wattpad, please do not give spoilers as it is still ongoing on Wattpad.  
> Hope you enjoy!

Siyeon slides the classroom door open and smiles apologetically at the teacher, who is mid-sentence.

He stops with a frown as all eyes of the students turn to her.

She's late...again.

"Ah, Miss Lee." The teacher turns to her. "Have you signed in?"

"Yes." She nods and bows low. "I apologise for being late."

"Hmm, yes." He accepts with straight lips, looking at her over the top of his round glasses. "Don't let it happen again." He returns to teaching the lesson as she walks down the first row of desks to the back, where her empty desks sits.

She's already been late countless times, but she is glad her teacher is so mellow about it.

Siyeon sits and hears snickers pass around the classroom. Her habit of running late is always a joke that's funny.

A stack of sticky notes collides with her desktop. The writing on the top sheet says 'Late again Lol'.

She turns her head and grins at the slim girl next to her, winking jokingly.

Below her friend's handwriting, she scrawls a reply 'Did I miss much???' and lobs it back, with an eye on the teacher.

The girl shakes her head, pauses, then nods with a scrunch of her face. She then writes something else on the sticky note before passing it back.

'I can teach you :)'

Siyeon nods again and tunes back into the teacher for the rest of the lesson.

***

"What's your excuse this time?" Her friend Yoohyeon grins cheekily as she walks out onto the school roof ahead of Siyeon.

They sit down together, close to the edge and Siyeon takes a pack of cigarettes from her blazer pocket.

"My excuse?" Siyeon snorts as she sticks an unlit cigarette in her mouth while she fumbles for her lighter. "My phone ran out of battery so my alarm didn't go off."

"C'mon, you can't even tell me the real reason you're late, uh...95% of the time?" She playfully hits Siyeon in the arm as Siyeon hugs her waist affectionately.

"I'm not joking!" Siyeon protests, only half-serious. She lights the cigarette with a flick of the lighter and takes a slow puff before saying any more. "My phone was literally drained last night and I forgot to plug it in."

Yoohyeon returns her hug and takes a cigarette and the lighter from Siyeon for herself. "I've never known such a cool girl to be so affectionate."

"I like hugs and you do too. Perfect combo for friends." She smiles.

"So...how did your phone get so drained?"

"Uh, well..."

***

With a sharp beep, the door clanks open and Siyeon enters, already wincing at the unavoidable sound.

Her hands feel for the strap diagonally across her chest, attached to the case on her back.

The roof is her destination, so she walks freely through the corridors and stairwells of the office building, knowing that the CCTV has already been taken care of for her.

She flexes her hands in their leather gloves and twists the handle of the roof door open. Stepping out into the night's darkness.

Her eyes peer across the roof as she walks to the edge, spying her target a few floors below in the building. She can see the back of his head through the slatted blinds of what must be his office. She takes out her phone to take an image and sends it to her team member. The battery level is already at 20%. Secret apps really drain the battery.

Her team member replies almost instantly with their confirmation. 'Take him out Wolf'

"Let's do this." Siyeon tells herself as the cold starts to burrow through her clothes. Shivering, she slings the case off her back and lies it on the ground in front of her.

She opens the case, revealing a rifle split into sections that she rapidly pieces back together. It takes slightly longer than normal due to her chilly fingers.

"The cold doesn't normally get to me like this." She mutters with a frown and loads the rifle with an ammunition clip and pulls the bolt back to draw a bullet into the chamber.

Siyeon lies down on the roof and points the barrel over the edge, down at the back of the target's head.

Through the scope, she can see the target a little closer, focusing in on his head, right where his left eye would be.

Her finger creeps to the trigger, caressing the cold metal before it freezes.

With one contraction of her finger and a huff of breath leaving her body, the rifle recoils with a small kick as the target's body is thrown forward into his desk.

"Done."

Siyeon pulls back to her knees and takes the rifle apart again, placing the pieces back in their correct slot and closes the lid, locking it shut.

Before leaving, she sends a message to her team member that she was done.

Their voice speaks to her through her earphones a few seconds later. "Great job, Wolf."

"Thanks." She acknowledges without emotion." Is the CCTV still out of commission?"

"Er, that's the thing." She laughs nervously. "The bug I put in was discovered automatically and was deleted."

"So it's running again?" She demands with a huff, already eyeing the distance to the ground.

"...Yeah. Do you have your wire?"

"Of course." Siyeon slings the case over her shoulder and secures the hook at the end of the wire on the railing. "I'm coming down now."

"Great. I'll collect you a few blocks down."

Siyeon holds the wire and stands on the edge of the roof, leaning back and letting the wire take her weight. Once she's happy, she drops down and rappels down the side of the building all the way down to the street.

Once her feet touch solid ground, she yanks on the wire and the hook loosens itself from the railing, falling down beside her.

With practised ease, she coils the wire, puts it in her backpack and walks off down the street.

"Had a good day?" Her team member continues to probe cautiously.

"Fine."

"Was school good?"

"Also fine. Stop asking me inane questions."

"I am intent on socialising, Wolf."

"Whatever." Siyeon rolls her eyes and comes back around to the front of the building. She sees her team member's car parked about two hundred yards away.

"Hey, a patrol has just left the police station with their lights and sirens on, coming towards us, eta ten minutes. I think your target's been found."

"Wow."

"Are you out yet?"

"Coming towards you. Check your mirrors."

"Okay. I'll be waiting."

She straightens her hood and walks off down the street, down towards the small black car.

Her hand reaches out to pull the door handle and she sits down inside next to her team member.

"Why'd you park so far away, Gahyeon?"

"I don't want to get caught again! Remember the last time when I parked outside?"

Siyeon does. It just so happened that there was a police patrol already nearby and when the news that her target was dead was reported soon than expected, the police turned up unexpectedly quickly and unlucky Gahyeon was outside.

"You got arrested and Miss Dami had to rescue you." Siyeon smirks and gets into the car next to her, closing the door.

"Not something I have any wish to repeat, so that's why I always park a few blocks down. And, I have a bone to pick with you."

"What?" She snaps moodily and puts her rifle case across the backseat.

"Why do you never call me by my code name when we're on a mission?" She starts the engine and they drive off.

"Code names aren't necessary by our company's rules, so I don't feel it law that I have to call you 'Bunny'. I don't even ask you to call me 'Wolf'."

"But 'Wolf' is so cool and 'Bunny' is so cute--"

"I hate cute stuff." Siyeon interrupts with a wrinkle of her lip.

Gahyeon huffs and turns her eyes back to the road, her jaw clenched to keep from retorting. "Still upset you're not a Senior Assassin yet?" She finally answers coolly.

"Yes! Would you expect me to suddenly stop being upset?"

"Er...no? Haven't you talked with Miss Dami about it yet?"

"I've made an appointment for tomorrow."

She turns her phone on to look through her messages.

13% battery left. Whoops.

***

"I was just, like, watching videos." Siyeon shrugs casually.

"Oh really?" Yoohyeon smiles. "I highly doubt that, but if you don't want to tell me..." She pouts and Siyeon grins back, the cigarette forgotten.

"Oh, don't do that face to me!" She leans into Yoohyeon again with laughter.


	2. Chapter 2

Leaving school alone, Siyeon takes the bus across the city, walks a little and ends up outside of a tall building with the words 'Kim and Lee' in large lit-up characters on one side of the building. A name that didn't really reveal what the company specialised in.

Siyeon heads inside, giving a brief smile and nod to the receptionist.

"Remember your meeting with Miss Lee in ten minutes!" He calls after her.

"Thanks!" She replies and heads into the lift, pressing the button for the seventh floor.

On the correct floor, she heads to Dami's office, already dreading the meeting. She didn't exactly have a way with words and Dami was a genius master in everything from languages to assassination.

"Did you make it here okay?" Dami rises from her seat and lends her hand out to Siyeon as she enters.

"Great. Thanks." She replies flatly, limply taking her outstretched hand before sitting. Her frustration bled through her pores heavily as Dami frowns in clear concern.

"How are you feeling today? You seem a touch...moody." Her eyes crinkle. "I guess your teenage hormones are running wild this month."

"Why am I not a Senior Assassin yet?" She demands and crosses her arms.

"Is that what you called a meeting with me for?" Dami's eyebrows raise in a controlled arch.

"Yes. Please. Tell me why. Is there even a reason?"

She smiles infuriatingly slowly and leans back in her chair to spin around and pull a ring binder out from the shelves behind. Dami turns back to Siyeon again.

"Do you know what this is?" She finally asks, her hand on top of the black ring binder.

"My file, I guess." Siyeon replies coldly.

"You've been with us for five years." Her hand opens the file and she stares at the front page. "It was the day of your thirteenth birthday that you came into my care."

"Don't mention that again." Her mouth purses as unwanted memories pursue her wandering mind that she struggles to repress.

The flames. Their dead eyes...and something else she couldn't quite remember.

"Sorry, Siyeon. Of course that would bring up, painful, painful memories. But what privileges do you think Senior Assassins get?"

"Well, they-- Hang on, I need to focus." Siyeon turns away from Dami to close her eyes and throws the dark memories away into the back of her mind. "Whew." She spins back to face Dami.

"You okay?" Dami's concern makes her feel fuzzy inside. "Do you need any water?"

"I'm fine. Let's continue. You asked me what privileges Senior Assassins get?"

Dami nods.

"I believe that they are allowed to go on longer and more immersive missions and are allowed to learn more of the company's secret techniques, use more of the studios and a wider range of weapons. The list feels endless."

"So you feel that your missions are not enough?"

"I enjoy them and they're pretty easy."

"You 'enjoy' them?"

Siyeon immediately realises with embarrassed dread that her words likely made her sound like a psychopath. "I mean, I don't enjoy killing. I just enjoy the feeling of successfully completing a mission."

"I see." She replies with a straight face. "Do you feel that what you have isn't enough, being a Junior Assassin?"

"I have been here for five bloody years! There are people who here who are Senior assassins that have been here for less time than me."

"So are you jealous of them?" An eyebrow raises again.

"Yes." She admits shamelessly. "I feel that I am more capable than some of them."

Dami finally lapses into silence, a hand to her lips as she thinks. Her eyes stare through Siyeon.

Siyeon stays quiet, allowing her time to think.

"You are a young woman." She eventually starts. "You're still in education. I don't want you to be consumed by this career. Sometimes I wonder if it was a mistake to introduce you to this business five years ago."

"It's already consumed me! This is my life. This is how I earn my rent, this is my life! What I do here is even more important to me than school"

"Ooh, now." Dami's mouth parts in concern. "That's exactly why I don't want to make you a Senior Assassin. This period of your life where you are maturing, is the most important part of your youth. I don't want this to be the most important thing in your life. I want your schoolwork, your friends, your hobbies to be the most important thing."

The sorrow in her voice almost fills Siyeon to the brim with guilt, but she bites her lip to come back to reality. Assassinating is her life. School is just a mission to complete before she can fully immerse her life in the art of assassination.

"I receive copies of your school reports." Dami continues. "They're awful, to be frank."

Siyeon's eyes widen at that fact. "O-oh really?"

"Uh-huh. So I'm aware that you're just cruising through school, not trying at all. And don't try to dispute that. I know you, Siyeon. I can already see that you don't care about school at all. How much do you like school?"

"Not a bit."

"And how much do you love this?"

"With all my heart."

"Okay then. Make an effort in school. If your grades rise, that will be one factor in me considering you to be a Senior Assassin."

"I can do that." She agrees with partial reluctance, but Siyeon would do anything to become a Senior Assassin, a position she'd been vying for, for years.

"I'll also give you more missions to see how you divide your time between schoolwork and preparing. There is a new assassin coming tomorrow. One of your ongoing missions will be to tutor them in the ways of being an assassin here. The mission will end when they become a Rookie Assassin."

***

Siyeon turns up at Yoohyeon's house after the meeting with Dami finishes.

Both of their smiles are strained as Yoohyeon opens the door to her.

"Your mum drinking again?" She whispers.

Yoohyeon nods. "Just be quiet going upstairs to avoid her."

"Will do." She steps in and they creep up the stairs to Yoohyeon's dingy bedroom, permanently smelling of damp.

Yoohyeon settles on her bed and opens her textbook. "This is what you missed, first period."

"English?"

"Yup. We learnt some verbs today. Come lie beside me and I'll go through."

Siyeon lies on the bed next to her, moving closer to her as Yoohyeon focuses on finding the right page. She watches her concentrated face with a smile as she feels herself warm.

"Here we are. I'll go through them first, so repeat after me."

"Yup."

"To run." She explains the word in Korean after and Siyeon nods in understanding.

"To lun." Siyeon repeats, struggling with the sharpness of the 'r' sound.

Yoohyeon giggles and says the word again until Siyeon can repeat it without the thick accent.

She does this with the half-page of verbs before moving into examples.

"Do you want to try and give me an example with...er, to run, first?"

"Sure. I...run late always the school."

"What?" Yoohyeon chuckles softly and falls on her face into the bed. "Do you mean 'I was running late to school'?"

"Yeah?" Her voice rises with the question, having no idea if she was correct, so she says it in Korean to check. "I always am running late to school."

"I'll give you two out of ten for that." Yoohyeon continues to giggle, unable to stop. "The only correct order of words you had was 'to school' and 'I'. You're hopeless."

"Teach me then." Siyeon can't help laughing along with her and wipes the tears from her eyes. "I want to learn."

"Siyeon? Wanting to learn? What's up with you?" Her hand cups over Siyeon's glistening forehead as she peers intently into her eyes.

"I just...want to see where I get if I try." She admits, the answer very close to the truth. She was curious what results would happen if she tried harder.

"Interesting thought process. But I'll be glad to help you!"


	3. Chapter 3

"Come in now, Siyeon!" Dami opens her office door and steps out, wearing a pinstriped navy-blue suit.

"What do you want to see me about? Is it a mission?"

"It's your first and longest mission." She nods. "You'll be carrying out other missions while this one is ongoing."

Dami steps back through the doorway without further explanation and Siyeon follows her into the room.

A person is already sits in front of Dami's desk and this surprises her, but she doesn't let it show in her expression.

Dami sits down beside her desk, inviting Siyeon to do the same, next to the stranger.

As she sits, her eyes flick to look at the girl beside her, noting her deep purple hair graduating into light blue at the airy tips. She didn't look much older than herself.

Her pale features also stand out, particularly her nose and lips, but she can't stop her eyes lingering on her cherry red lips before moving back at Dami with a clearing of her throat.

"Lee Siyeon, this is Kim SuA. Greet each other."

Siyeon faces SuA, who stands and bows. "Hello. My name is Kim SuA! I am a new Trainee Assassin here."

Her cold eyes betray impatience, contrasting to her bright acting. Clearly the girl was able to hide things easily.

Siyeon nods and blinks before doing a sitting bow. "Hi. My name is Lee Siyeon. I'm a Junior Assassin here.

SuA's eyes flash colder at her lazy and informal greeting and she sits back down, casting a distasteful eye towards Siyeon.

Dami beams at them. "Well, we have that done. Let's get into the real business."

Siyeon leans back comfortably in the black plastic chair and crosses her arms.

SuA sits stiff-backed, her hands folded neatly on her lap.

"Siyeon is on the way to becoming a Senior Assassin." Dami starts, making the rank seem more mysterious. "One of her missions is to coach a trainee until they complete their training period to become a Rookie Assassin. I have selected you, SuA, since you are our most recent addition to be Siyeon's trainee.

SuA smiles tightly and seems to mutter something under her breath, sounding much similar to a curse.

She frowns at the quietly insolent girl but listens to Dami.

"Starting tomorrow, you will training SuA in the art of assassination. I have printed your lesson plan out and put it in your cubbyhole. I've already explained most things to SuA, so if you have a question, ask Siyeon. I'm sure she'll be willing to help."

"Right." SuA starts. "Where will I be living? I don't exactly have a place to stay." Her voice is low and rich, sounding bossy.

"Yes, I've already sorted that out. You will be living with Siyeon."

It takes a moment for the words to hit both of them.

"What?" Siyeon exclaims.

Even SuA's eyes widen and her lip curls in mild disgust.

"It would be best so that you two can bond. It's perfect." Dami looks each of them in the eyes. "You may not be each other's biggest fans right now, but give each other a chance, and your personalities may not be as bad as they seem right now."

"Sure." Siyeon refrains from rolling her eyes, but makes it known to Dami that she's unwilling.

She finally looks sternly at Siyeon. "I hope you decided to become more mature about this. You can't be a Senior Assassin with an attitude like this."

SuA snorts quietly and looks away with a sly smile.

Dami's glaze flicks to SuA. "I want maturity from both of you girls. You're the same age as each other, so act like it! Your first training session will be tomorrow at five in Self-Defence Studio Three."

"Yes, Madam." Siyeon lowers her head.

"Now why don't you head home together? I've already sent your luggage there, SuA."

***

"Where do you live then." SuA asks politely as they sit on the bus.

"A flat." Siyeon replies shortly. "It takes about half an hour to get there."

"Oh. Sounds nice." There was no emotion in her voice and she looks away out of the window.

Conversation over.

Half an hour later, the bus stops and they leave.

Siyeon decides to try at conversation and give the haughty girl a slight chance at redeeming herself. "So where are you from?"

"Changwon."

"Did you move here recently?"

"Arrived yesterday."

"Where did you stay overnight?"

"At Dami's. She said she was sorting a place for me to stay. Didn't know it was going to be with such a passive-aggressive person."

"Hey!" Siyeon protests. "That is not fair, you cold-ass--" She stops herself before she regrets anything. "Sorry, I didn't mean that."

"Well, I meant what I said. If training me is one of your missions, you better do it well and drop that stupid attitude!" Her voice rises as Siyeon takes her into the lift to her floor, keeping quiet through her insult.

But she was not going to let SuA trample all over her. The girl will obey her if they were to get on.

Siyeon unlocks the door to her flat. "Here we are, home sweet home." Siyeon smiles snarkily at SuA and steps inside. "Oh look. Dami's put a bed for you in the spare room. Thank goodness you're not sharing one with me."

"Oh yes." She says neutrally.

"This is the bathroom, the kitchen, my room. It's pretty small."

"Cool."

"I have some ground rules for you, seeing it's my place you're staying at."

"Uh-huh."

"Get your own meals, so that means buying your own ingredients, etcetera. Just for tonight, I'll make dinner to be nice. Keep the noise low in the flat because I don't want neighbours complaining. Talk to me if you want, but don't be fucking snarky and piss me off."

"Doesn't seem to take much to piss you off." SuA jokes.

"And be polite to me. I am your superior, so you should respect me."

"If you say so." She yawns. "Is that it?"


	4. Chapter 4

That afternoon, Siyeon leads SuA into Self-Defence Studio Three, a vast room with a high ceiling. The floor and walls are padded, allowing for brutal actions without serious injury. If you didn't want the extreme safety, self-defence studio one (For Senior agents only) was apparently 'awesome'.

Already training in the room are two of Siyeon's colleagues, JiU and Gahyeon.

JiU throws a hook punch at Gahyeon as she shoulders her in the gut and wraps her arms around her waist, taking them both to the ground. They look up together once they notice Siyeon and SuA.

"Oh hey!" JiU grins and pushes Gahyeon off herself so that she can stand and walks towards them. "Is this a new assassin?" She offers her hand out to SuA, who takes it.

"My name's Kim SuA."

"SuA, huh? I'm Gahyeon and that's JiU." Gahyeon comes up from behind as Siyeon steps away, walking towards the supply cupboard.

Inside, she takes out a foam baseball bat, considers the knife, but steps back out again without taking it.

She may not like the girl, but attacking her with a foam knife wasn't exactly the best way to start training on a good note.

When she returns to SuA, the other two have gone back to grappling on the floor. SuA watches them, her face paler with worry.

"Scared for our first training session?" Siyeon grins, resting the baseball bat on her shoulder.

"Not at all!" She fires back defensively, her eyes daring her to reply.

"If you say so." She shrugs. "Let me give you the rundown of what we'll be doing here today." Siyeon moves to the centre of the room. "I will be attacking you with this bat. Don't stress, it's made out of foam. And you have to repel me in any way you think works. Understand?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any experience in self-defence?"

"I took some classes in it a few y--"

"Great. So try your best with the three minute round we'll be doing this for. And remember, fight dirty, but no eye-gouging and pelvic hitting. Understand?" She smirks in anticipation and takes the bat in both hands. The girl has practically no experience, so she isn't expecting much.

"Go!" She starts her stopwatch and chucks it to the ground, rushing at SuA.

SuA freezes and her eyes widen as Siyeon takes her legs out from beneath her with the bat and she flops to the floor like a rag-doll.

A smile pulls Siyeon's lips back. Is that it?" She taunts mockingly, hoping to rile SuA up to make her try harder.

The girl gets to her feet and Siyeon swings again with the bat, albeit a little slower. SuA ducks as the bat glances off her head and slams a fist into Siyeon's gut.

"Ooh!" Siyeon beams at her, barely reacting to the strike. "No power and no technique, but good-going. Come on!"

She tries to punch her in the middle again, but Siyeon catches her wrist with the bat to block the strike and hits her in the stomach with her other fist.

SuA yelps and stumbles back. Siyeon advances, dropping the bat.

It is time to see how she did with grappling.

She rugby-tackles SuA to the floor as the air rushes out from her lungs and pins her body to the floor.

"Come on, get up!" She yells as SuA's body bucks under Siyeon's weight. "You're not trying hard enough!"

"Fuck you!" She slaps Siyeon in the face, hard enough for dizziness to weaken her muscles and SuA starts to slip out from underneath with gritted teeth.

Siyeon grips her neck and left wrist, pinning SuA again as her knees tighten around the girl's petite waist. "Ten seconds left."

SuA attempts to hit her again, but Siyeon digs a fingernail into the pressure point under her ear. She screams into Siyeon's ear as she winces, but keeps her down.

"Three, two, one." Siyeon leans her face in close to SuA, able to feel her heavy breathing. "You're dead."

"You enjoyed that, you sadist." SuA spits and narrows her eyes. "Now let me go."

"I enjoy seeing all of the trainees' abilities grow. Even yours, I suppose." Siyeon falls back on her heels and stands, offering her hand. "That's why I enjoy this, because I know you'll improve soon and then we'll be able to get some really intensive bouts."

With a moment decision, SuA takes her hand to stand up. "Did I slap you too hard?" She finally asks.

"Not at all. Perfect power, just wrong technique." Her hand rubs the pink mark on the side of her face.

"Stop telling me 'wrong technique' and tell me what I can actually do."

"Alright then. Go to slap me again, but slowly and with no power."

SuA swings her hand slowly for Siyeon's face and softly hits her face with a sweaty, plank-straight palm. "Okay?"

"Okay, great. That was the perfect example of rubbish slap. Now, I'll have you feel a proper slap. Don't worry, I won't put all my power in, but I want you to at least experience the feeling."

"You're going to slap me? Hey, hold on--" She starts to shy away, but Siyeon's hand swings for her, contacting with her ear and jaw. "Ouch!" She winces and pushes her hand away. "My ear popped."

"Exactly my intention. It works because my hand is cupped to the shape of your face to maximise the surface area I hit, and hitting the ear is good because it disorientates the opponent by popping their ear. This will also work better if you hit the other person as if you're aiming here so that you put more power in." She puts her hand up next to SuA's other cheek. "You aimed for the cheek when you hit me, so your power ended short."

"Oh, right. That's interesting."

"But of course, slapping is not the first course of action in a fight. It's run, restrain or incapacitate. The same logistics of a slap can be applied to a punch. For the rest of this session, I'll be teaching you how to punch properly.

***

"What's up, girl? You're finally attending classes on time! And you're awake in class too." Yoohyeon bombards her with questions as they head to the lunch hall, the questions leaving her mouth in quick-fire sentences.

Siyeon shakes her head and intertwines her arm with Yoohyeon's. "You know I said that I would be trying harder in school."

"I remember. Just didn't think you would actually stick to it. But darling, hate to break it to you. You're not going to suddenly get brainy if you arrive on time and listen in class."

"What are you suggesting then?" Siyeon eyes the girl, who she knows is ready to put forward a proposal she'll accept.

"We study together."

"We do that anyway."

"Keep telling yourself that." She rolls her eyes. "If you're going to start trying harder in class, then you need to start working harder outside of class." She replies in a matter-of-fact tone. "Are we sitting in our usual spot?"

"Sure." Siyeon walks with her to the corner of the busy room where many students were already sat with their lunch.

They settle with heavy sighs in opposite seats.

Yoohyeon pulls out her doshirak as Siyeon takes out a cuboid foil-wrapped package. She unwraps it to reveal a squashed cucumber sandwich.

"Your lunch." Yoohyeon sighs.

"You know I never have a big appetite." She takes melancholy bite of the soggy bread as her gaze passes around the hall. "I could do with some ham with this."

"That's not what I was sighing at."

Everyone is a familiar face, but one person suddenly catches her eye and the name arrives in her head soon after.

SuA.

"Who're you glaring at?" Yoohyeon turns and scans the hall as Siyeon drops her gaze.

"No one." She laughs weakly. "Well, actually, I was, but..."

"Who?"

"That girl over there. The one with the purple hair. Is she allowed that in school?"

"Oh, that girl? She's new here. Like, since yesterday."

"Really?" Siyeon says innocently. "Know anything about her?"

"Erm, well, I heard she's part of the dance club."

"Isn't she new? The auditions were at the start of the school year."

"I heard that she demanded to be allowed to join and even did a little dance for them. They accepted immediately."

"That's brazen."

"I know, right?" Yoohyeon leans her head into her palm dreamily. "I'd love to be able to dance really well."

"I'd rather be able to sing." Siyeon grins.

"I can imagine it now." Her voice trails away before Siyeon flicks her forehead.

"Eat up, skinny." Siyeon's eyes find SuA's again, who is talking to other girls around her.

SuA seems to sense that someone is watching her and her eyes meet Siyeon's. Without flinching, Siyeon smiles and winks.

"I winked at her! What did I do that for?" Siyeon ducks and looks with panic at Yoohyeon, avoiding SuA's possible response.

"Seems that stupid habit of randomly winking has finally embarrassed you." Yoohyeon laughs at her friend's mortified plight. "Hey, she raised her eyebrow and looks ultra confused."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Siyeon!" JiU hugs her from behind as she finishes a stamina workout, sweating from every orifice. "How was your workout?"

"Good." She takes a swig from her water bottle and eyes JiU's workout clothing. "You exercising now?"

"Yeah. I like to do it late in the evening. Hey, speaking of late training, I saw your trainee in Shooting Range One."

Siyeon's eyebrows raise. "She is?"

"Have you started training her with ranged weapons then?" JiU crosses her arms and furrows her brows.

"No. We're three weeks into self-defence and the test for it is in a week. What's she doing there?" Anger starts to work its way through her. "What kind of priorities does that girl have?"

"Don't be too mad at her, she deserves a chance." JiU attempts to give advice to the smouldering girl.

"She'd deserve more of a chance if she wasn't so uptight with me all the time. You should've seen her face when Dami first told her that I was training her."

"You two seem to have got off to a rocky start, but it's not too late to fix your relationship."

"How do I fix it then?" Siyeon asks with disinterest.

"For a start, don't insult her with every sentence you speak. Don't argue, I've heard you when you train her. And...come on, listen to me, Siyeon!" JiU finally snaps and jabs her arm.

"Alright, alright." Siyeon rolls her eyes, but stands to attention as her free hand pinches her ear in a spike of nervousness.

"Constant insulting can really beat someone down even if they don't show it, like SuA. Try and initiate conversation. Talk about meaningless things. The weather, how nice her clothes look, what you did today, the last film you saw. Can you at least try that for me?"

"Yeah, I guess. I'll go down there now." She heads with reluctance towards the exit as JiU calls encouragement in her wake.

***

Down on the basement floor, Siyeon comes to a stop outside of the soundproof door of Shooting Range One.

Carefully, so as not to disturb anyone inside, she opens the metal door and slips inside, shutting it quietly again.

The lights are on low, so much of the room is shrouded in gloom. Only over the targets are strips of lighting.

Over at the far end of the strip of flooring, Siyeon sees the lower half of SuA's body leaning out from behind a divider.

A shot rings out, followed by the sound of the target tearing and the sharp clink of an empty shell.

With slow steps, Siyeon walks towards the girl, careful to stay out of her line of sight. She wants to observe the girl before she notices her.

In the many sessions over the few weeks, Siyeon has trained SuA in self-defence and combat. The girl had always kept her head down and focused, the feud between them only resurfacing when they went home together.

It makes her feel ashamed somehow, because of the unreasonable grudge she always seems to bear against SuA.

Siyeon recalls JiU's advice and comes to a stop two metres behind SuA. She fires another round and it tears through the head. Already in the target are messy holes in the chest, shoulder and ear.

"How many rounds does it take for you to eliminate a target?"

SuA flinches and turns, scowling once she sees Siyeon. "Why?"

"I'm genuinely curious." She replies and steps closer. This was her idea of casual conversation.

"Three or under."

"Three? Here, it needs to be under two. Meaning one."

"They're still dead at the end of the day." She shrugs.

"We're a company. Everyone here needs to stick to the same protocol of killing."

"And that's killing the person in one shot?"

Siyeon shakes her head. "Not only that." She offers a hand out for SuA's rifle. She hands it over and Siyeon walks to the table on the other side of SuA, where there is a fresh target waiting.

She rests the rifle on the table and leans down to look through the scope, lining it up with the head of the target.

With one round, a hole appears in the head, right where the left eye would be.

"You didn't get it in the centre." She pauses. "Or was that your intention?"

"It's company protocol."

"Huh. So it's like a calling card?" She seems impressed.

"Yes. Directly though the left eye. I will be teaching this to you if you pass your self-defence and combat test. And I don't really approve of you being here."

"Whatever." She dismisses. "I can prepare how I want. Right now, this is just how I wind down after being shouted at all day." She takes the weapon back from Siyeon and unloads it before putting it back on the wall with the other weapons.

"But-- Okay." Siyeon stops herself from shouting and losing control, letting out the deep breath she had taken. "Okay, fine. Do whatever you want. Just don't fail the exam, or it'll look bad for me."

"Of course, Siyeon." SuA turns to her and her head cocks to the side. "You know, you're a hard one to figure out. You're moody and barely smile while you're at the company."

"Hey!"

"But you smile so freely at school with that friend of yours. I could almost imagine it's me that makes you unhappy." She smiles slyly.

"Her name's Kim Yoohyeon, thank you. We're friends."

"Oh really." She smiles wider. "So do I make you unhappy?"

"You make me furious." Siyeon replies honestly, guiltily hoping to hurt her ego.

"That's nice."

"I hear you forced yourself into the school dance club." Siyeon shifts topic lightly in an attempt to keep the conversation pleasant, but her tone still came out accusingly.

"There's already a rumour going around?" She laughs. "I did, because I felt that I was the best out of all of them and could really contribute something. It's not egotistical at all."

"So you're pretty good at dancing?"

"Eh, yeah." She shrugs. "I've had lessons since I could walk. I was the head of my middle school dance club. Do you not believe I'm capable of dancing?"

"I never said that."

SuA does a wave with her arms and rolls her eyes. "I can't be bothered to show you how awesome I am tonight. Perhaps another day."

Siyeon huffs and grudgingly smiles. "Want to go for a drink? As co-workers?"

"Sure." SuA replies, shrugging. "I've got nothing better to do."

***

The two find themselves sat at a plastic table on stools in the cool night air.

"What made you come to Seoul?" Siyeon opens with as she takes the lid off her soju bottle.

SuA shakes her bottle before opening it. "It wasn't really my choice. So, I came from Changwon. You know where that is, right?"

"South, near the coast?"

"Yeah. I lived there until about a month ago."

"That's when you came to the company." Much as she was distasteful, she can sense the sorrow in the air and keeps respectably quiet.

"I killed the CEO of a company on the orders of a rival company. Then the son of the murdered CEO started looking into finding his father's killer, eventually finding me." She stops and gulps down a shot of soju.

"How did he find you?"

"Hidden cameras near the main CCTV cameras that I had taken care of. They saw me enter the parking garage of the company and leave again in my car. They traced me and my car, eventually finding my family, because my dad paid for the car..." SuA trails off as her eyes unfocus. "He killed them all. But kept me alive so that I could suffer. He told me that himself."

"That's fucking awful." Siyeon empathises and takes a sip from her glass. "Absolutely ghastly."

"I didn't turn into a wreck. I didn't become the person he wanted me to be, which was distraught, vengeful and reckless."

"What did you become?"

"I stayed the same." She sighs and looks down. "I continued to carry out assassinations, though I avoided anything to do with the son and his company. Kill the son? No damn way. I was sure my personal feelings would get in the way and ruin it."

"So you did nothing?" Siyeon asks in barely-concealed surprise. "If that was me, I would have killed him, no matter the consequences."

"I would have. But I knew they were still watching me, checking to see if I was behaving."

"Oh, I see." Siyeon pours another shot, already feeling partially light-headed.

Who would pass out first?

SuA laughs weakly. "Often, I wonder how things would have turned out, had I killed him."

"How did you arrive in Seoul?"

"One night, a woman turned up in my apartment."

"A woman?" Siyeon calls for another bottle of soju.

"Yes. Lee Dami herself." SuA's face sinks deeper into her palm as her eyelids flutter. Her pronunciation borders on slurring.

"She came to see you?" Siyeon takes a swig directly from the bottle and coughs away from the table. She remembers that Dami came personally to recruit her as well.

"Yeah. I tried to...attack her, thinking the son had sheent her, but she...whas the word?" Her words were starting to slur. "Took me down, explained that shhhe wanted to help me." Her elbow buckles and her face meets the table with a solid thunk. She didn't move and Siyeon stares down at her in a mix of pity and dislike.

She can't help disliking the girl - There is something about her that wasn't...right. Many of her reasons are drawn from the way SuA responds to her so immaturely. She is hiding something behind that big head.

Yet the girl is so strong. She hasn't given up despite the awful occurrences in her life, persevered and not let her hate take over her.

And there SuA is, her pitiful body collapsed on the table.

"Hey." Siyeon alternates before shaking her shoulder and patting her head. "We need to go home. Like, now. We have lots of training tomorrow."

No response.

She finally pinches her arm and SuA moans. At least got a response.

Siyeon pinches her again. "We need to go home now."

She groans and half-heartedly slaps the air with a hand. "Thi-thish table smells, like, like, alcohol."

"Yeah, funny that." Siyeon responds with heavy sarcasm and stands, walking over to pay for their drinks before returning to SuA who hasn't moved. "Come on, at least stand on your feet for me!"

SuA drowsily obeys so that Siyeon is no longer taking all her weight and pulls SuA's arm around her shoulders.

"You takin' me home?"

"I am." She answers evenly and starts to stumble forward along the street-lit pavement under SuA's weight. "I'll call a taxi."

"A taxi? Mr taxi, taxi, taxi--"

"Alright, shut it." Siyeon's irritation comes back and she takes her phone out to call for a taxi.

"Ohh, thash bright!" SuA's hand moves to the phone, clumsily knocking it from her hand.

"Ugh, you brat!" She growls and bends to pick up her phone.

"Wh-oaah!" SuA flops over with Siyeon, falling to her knees.

"You broke my screen, you hoe." Siyeon seethes and puts the phone to her ear. "Hiya!" She puts on her friendly voice. "Could I arrange a taxi to meet at this location." She reels off the street name. "Okay, thank you!"

"Whass that yourrr," SuA rolls her 'r's excessively. "Your boyfriend?"

"Er, no. I don't have a boyfriend, much less want one." She pauses. "Do you?" She reckons the alcohol would help for some truth-telling.

"Heck, no." SuA takes herself away from Siyeon wobbily and attempts sass. "I much prefer the romantic company of non-males."

"Females?" Siyeon zips her jacket up.

"I shuppose so." SuA shrugs. "So long as they love me and I love them, it's all fine." Her hands grip her stomach. "Hold on a sec--"

Siyeon instinctively steps back as SuA retches wetly, bringing up the contents of her stomach.

"That stinks." She wrinkles her nose and looks at her watch.

"Shorry for not having vomit that smells like flowers." SuA replies scornfully with a hint of normal self.

A car's headlights broke through the semi-darkness and stops beside them.

"You called a taxi?" The man inside asks.

"Yes. My friend's a little drunk, so just be warned." She opens the back passenger door and points inside. "SuA, get in."

"Don't rush me." She snaps back and clambers in on her hands and knees.

"Training is tomorrow. You're going to have lots of fun being hungover."

It was then she realises that she called SuA her 'friend'. Was that what they were, despite huge differences? Or was that what she subconsciously wanted to be with her?


	6. Chapter 6

Unusually for the morning, Siyeon cooks breakfast for two - scrambled eggs, buttered toast and two glasses of milk.

Her mind is only a little changed on SuA after last night's conversation.

She now knows her backstory and some of her hidden feelings. That was saddening definitely, especially judging by the amount of alcohol SuA downed.

So she finds herself being more understanding of the stand-offish woman, and the personality she created to distance herself from others. Which is why she was cooking breakfast for two, being lenient with her normal rules because Siyeon wants to understand the person she lives with.

Siyeon hears movement from the spare room and knows SuA has woken. The sounds of moving fabric through the open door is accompanied by a small, pitiful groan.

"Morning." Siyeon calls and separates the scrambled egg onto two plates with the toast. "I've made breakfast for you."

"You've made...breakfast?" SuA's voice cracks and she appears from her room. "What happened last night?"

"Hmm, let's see. You got drunk, headbutted the table, vomited and broke my phone screen." Siyeon finally turns and meets her eyes.

Her head falls into her hands into embarrassment. "I feel like absolute shit."

"You look it." Siyeon snorts at SuA's frizzy hair and swollen face. "Anyway, come and have some breakfast." She pulls both chairs out from the circular table and sits on one.

SuA sits opposite her and looks down at her plate. "Smells okay." She takes her fork and stabs at the chunks of scrambled egg.

Siyeon eats hungrily, scooping the scrambled eggs onto the toast and eating it.

After they finish, she looks up expectantly for a 'thank you' from SuA. Instead, SuA shrugs and stands.

"I like my toast without butter." She puts her plate in the sink and walks off to get changed.

Siyeon's hands clench into shaking fists and she looks upwards to control her temper.

"Spoilt brat." She mutters angrily.

***

"Come on, hit the pads harder!" Siyeon roars at the woman, venting her frustration from earlier in the morning.

"I feel sick..." SuA's eyes plead with hers as she feebly hits the pads, one after the other. "Can we just finish early?"

"We've only been doing this for ten minutes, you've got ages yet. Don't you dare slack off."

She strikes the pads again.

"Too fucking weak! Come on, you've got to put hips and power into it."

SuA hits again, then stumbles away as she holds her knees.

It was a clearly fake act and Siyeon wasn't at all sympathetic. It was SuA's choice to drink as much as she did.

She tears off the pads and marches over to SuA, pulling her to face her by the collar of her t-shirt. "Look, start putting a little more effort in or you're never going to be a proper assassin. I can just as easily fail you right now and you're gone! Do you understand?"

"Why are you being such a bitch?" SuA wrinkles her nose. "I just drank too much last night."

"That was your own bloody fault. You chose what you drank and how much you drank. I'm still here, working out after last night. And here, you are, playing the fool and flaking out of serious training. This here, is training for real life. You can't flake out there. If you do, you get killed!"

SuA bites her lip and flares mercilessly at Siyeon before she nods, her gaze not dropping an inch in defiance.

"Do you fucking understand?"

"Sure."

Siyeon shoves her away. "Take five minutes break. I hope it fixes your attitude."

***

A week later, it was finally time for SuA's first test.

"Today is your test in self-defence and combat." Siyeon tells SuA as she leads her down the corridor of doors.

"I know."

Their relationship hadn't been repaired at all since the incident after they went drinking together and almost every conversation ended in an argument.

"I am just telling you what I am required to." They stop outside of Studio Two and Siyeon blocks the way, leaning on the panel next to the door.

"Okay then." SuA clicks her knuckles and leans back on one foot.

"In this room, you'll find many people. You're target is to get to the other side of the room. Which is, warning, quite long for the purpose of this particular test. These people will try and stop you in any way possible. Just do what you think is necessary to get through, but no kicking groins, biting or gouging eyes. Okay?"

"Okay?"

"Here you go." Siyeon takes two rolls of fighting hand wraps. "Put these on, they'll protect your fists a little.

"Thanks." She accepts unwillingly and wraps them around her hands. "When do I start?"

"When the door closes behind you. I'll be going in now. See you on the other side." She smiles slyly and steps into the darkened room where the lights were on minimum power, enabling her to see everyone's outlines.

"Everybody ready?" She asks.

"Yes." They agree together and Siyeon smiles as she walks through the room to the back wall.

"We're ready for you, SuA." She says to herself as the lights dim down completely.

If she was honest with herself, she didn't want the woman to pass. She wants the impossible woman to leave the company completely and disappear from her life. But SuA was her trainee. It would look bad on Siyeon if her trainee failed and then she would never become a Senior agent.

So SuA had to pass. Unfortunately. Siyeon was just going to make it very hard for her.

The door opens and someone shuffles in.

Now!

The lights flick on at once and everyone is revealed.

There are fifteen other people in the room, arranged in rows of five. The very last row is made up solely of Siyeon. One row at a time will attack SuA. When she defeats them, the next row with come forward and so on.

SuA seems to assess them and puts her fists up in front of her, ready. She steps forward and the first row of five people approach.

"You expect me to fight five people at once?" SuA yells across the room to Siyeon.

"Of course! Etiquette isn't observed in street fights, they're not going to attack one by one."

SuA throws her first punch for the middle person into their gut and they stumble back a little. Others start to attack her with punches and she has her hands full, fending them off.

With a quick jab at the face, she is able to make one of them fall back to the floor. One down. The others start to fight harder, coming faster as if their moral was boosted by the loss of one team member.

SuA perseveres, making it through the first row. She isn't untouched by them all, countless bruises likely already forming on her body.

She advances towards the second row, who fight a little more aggressively, taking a style of mixed martial arts to attack SuA.

There was a moment when Siyeon's heart jumps as one of the men slam their palm into SuA's nose and she reacts with a cry and shoves him away.

Soon, the second row is on the floor. The third row give her no rest, advancing as soon as the last person falls.

Gahyeon and JiU are in this line and Siyeon knows they will push SuA to her limits as they challenge her ability at self-defence when JiU gets behind and takes the sweating girl into an arm lock.

SuA struggles as Gahyeon starts to strike her stomach and face.

There's a simple move for getting out of the arm lock and she hopes SuA is able to remember before she gets hurt too bad.

SuA throws her body forward as she bends at the waist and JiU is projected into Gahyeon, loosening the arm lock at the unexpected move. Not quite the correct move but it was effective.

Easily, pumped by adrenaline, SuA takes the last three to the ground with merciless punches and kicks.

SuA faces off her last opponent, Siyeon.

Siyeon grins self-confidently and readies for her attack. "I'm not going to make it easy for you."

"Whatever." SuA drops forward and throws a low kick for her knee. Siyeon pushes it away with her fist, using the same one to backfist her in the face.

SuA takes the blow and puts her hands up to protect her face. Siyeon uses this automatic response to her advantage, striking SuA in the stomach with a slap.

"Bitch!" SuA gasps and explodes towards her in a shower of fists. She deflects each one and returns with twisting her left fist into a lock and pushing her away.

With a quick swipe of her hand, SuA pushes the hair stuck to her face back.

Siyeon blinks, trying not to lose focus as she watches her hair fly back. She attacks again.

SuA's eyes suddenly narrow and she wraps her arms around Siyeon's waist, not letting her go. Unexpectedly, she spits at her face.

At the sudden attack, Siyeon flinches and looks away as the liquid hits her face and SuA shoves her back. Then she takes the chance in her lull to palm thrust Siyeon's chin upwards so that she loses her balance backwards. For good measure, she pushes her as well.

Her arms flail as she falls to the floor and hits her head with a desperate cry.

As soon as she hit the floor, she knew she had lost and SuA had won. She seethes at what she could consider cheating, but she never mentioned it her rules.

So SuA had passed the test.

"Well done." She smiles from the floor and gets to her feet, ignoring the dizzying rush of blood to her head. "You passed your first test."

SuA grins cheekily, knowing she took advantage of the rules. "Thanks. Do I get a reward?"

"You get to stay at the company." Siyeon rolls her eyes and smiles at the group of people. "Thanks for helping, everyone. Couldn't have done it without you all."


	7. Chapter 7

Siyeon holds out the rifle to SuA, who takes it suspiciously.

"Do you think you can load it?" She asks simply.

SuA huffs. "You know I can."

"Then do it." Siyeon puts a box of bullets on the table next to her.

SuA draws the bolt back to open the chamber, checking to see if a bullet shell had been left inside. She then loads the magazine below the breach until it's full and pushes the bolt back into place with a click. "Done."

"I told you how we kill, didn't I?"

"The left eye."

"Correct. Try it now."

"Sure."

"Could you just try to be a little respectful?" She asks tightly and rubs her tired eyes. "I'm fed up of you being rude to me when I'm your senior."

"Yes, ma'am." SuA rolls her eyes. "Whatever you say." She ends dismissively and leans down to look through the rifle scope, her body relaxing.

Siyeon's nostrils flare, but she keeps her calm to focus on tutoring SuA.

She finally nods as she watches SuA. Perfect form...but substandard accuracy. She chuckles at that thought.

SuA's body tightens before she fires, striking the neck of the target.

"You distracted me." She complains as she turns.

"Sorry." She replies without feeling. "Try again."

Almost immediately she regrets her callous tone, remembering JiU's words to try and be nicer. Siyeon relaxes her face and sighs at how hard it is to try and socialise.

As she continues to watch SuA aim again, she makes a promise to try and be nicer to the girl.

***

After plenty of practice and many shells littering the floor, SuA finally manages to strike closer to the target point than she had before and Siyeon praises her heavily.

"Not many trainees take to it this quickly."

"Thanks." She acknowledges breezily and pauses, lowering the rifle. "Just a random question. How do you get trainees in this company?"

Siyeon shrugs. "I don't really know. I suppose we have people to look out for solo assassins. But any important ones, Dami seems to find them herself."

"So...I'm important?" SuA seems bemused, as Siyeon secretly is too.

"Yeah. So am I, it seems. Yet I'm not really sure how Dami selects 'important ones'."

"I don't feel to be very 'important', judging by my crap accuracy and fighting skills."

"Accuracy isn't going to be the only thing she likely looks at. You have plenty of passion and...fire. Those are probably some of the qualities Dami sees in you."

SuA looks at Siyeon. "And what did she see in you?"

"A lost little girl who didn't belong, had no family. See, I was only thirteen when she took me in."

"Thirteen? That's pretty young. Were you an assassin at that age?"

"Not before Dami found me." Siyeon's expression becomes a little guarded.

"You've been one for years then. How come you aren't a Senior assassin then?"

"Exactly my question?" Siyeon grumbles. "But Dami said something about protecting my health and youth."

"Ah, I see. But why 'a lost little girl'?" SuA's brow raises in careful concern.

"I lost my family to a fire. There was suspicion that it was arson."

SuA's eyebrows crease in sympathy. "God. That's awful. Did you escape the fire?"

"Yeah." Siyeon leans against the desk as she recalls the flames, heat and her parents' melting, burning faces. Not least the bullet holes in their heads. "I don't know why they didn't kill me too."

"Kill you too?"

"There was a bullet hole through each of their skulls. I don't know what happened, but I remember...seeing...something."

"You ever tried to find out more?" SuA looks as if she wants to hug Siyeon, but they are yet not that close and she resigns herself to offering condolences from afar, wishing she could hold the girl, who looks as if she is going to break as she recalls the traumatic memory. 

"Not really. My parents are dead, so I never saw any point in digging up painful memories because it wouldn't bring them back."

"Fair." SuA shrugs then fixes her curious gaze on Siyeon. "You're not as obnoxious as I first thought. I think I sized you up wrong."

"Guess I could say the same about you." Siyeon frowns and gives a hesitant, small smile. "Just stop being such an asshole and we might get on even better.

***

"Your first mission today." Siyeon sits on the floor beside SuA's bed and shakes her gently awake.

SuA sits up blearily. "My first mission?"

"Don't worry, you're not killing anyone. I will." Siyeon smiles, ever casual in her Marvel pyjamas. "Read through this." She dumps a thick, stapled sheaf of papers onto her lap and stands. "It gives mission protocols, aims, procedure, etcetera."

"Cool." SuA rubs her eyes free of sleep and flicks through the papers quickly. She stops at a page. "Hold on, we're actually disguising and infiltrating?"

"That's right. Some missions, contact isn't required, which is when we use a rifle, but missions like this...we use a handgun. "Which is why you also need to be proficient in using the handgun as well as the rifle."

SuA takes the news in mild shock as she starts to read more carefully, heading for the table where Siyeon had made a bowl of cereal and milk for her.

She seems too nervous to even make a quip at Siyeon's lazy breakfast she made for her. "What do I have to do?"

"Just stay with me." Siyeon shrugs. "You're a trainee, so we don't expect you to do anything. And what we've done with this mission is set up a fake company, X Jewellers to make ourselves seem more legitimate on the outside to our target."

"Okay." She replies in a small voice, gulping down the cereal and milk.

***

An hour later, Siyeon and SuA's car stops outside of a building, largely consisting of sleek glass panelling covering all sides.

Their driver, an employee of their company turns to look at them. "Good luck."

"Thanks, Changkyun."

He smiles easily in response and the two women step out of the car. They were both dressed smartly in grey blazers, pencil skirts and white shirts, disguised as secretaries.

SuA holds a hand over her stomach. "Urghh...I don't feel so good."

Siyeon straightens her suit and flicks a hair away from her face. "That's just the nervousness getting to you. You'll be fine."

"Where's the toilet?"

"We're not going to be inconspicuous if you go in and immediately ask to take a shit." Siyeon jokes but pulls out a blister pack of immodium. "Take one of these and follow me."

She takes one and puts it in her mouth, looking as if she's swallowed something sour. "I'll just follow you." She tells herself quietly.

Without replying, Siyeon heads into the building through the sliding glass doors, SuA not far behind.

"Good morning." Siyeon addresses the man at the front desk with a polite smile. "We have an appointment booked with Mr Song for 10am."

"Your names are..." He looks up at them.

"Miss Lee of X Jewellers."

"Miss Kim of X Jewellers."

"Ah, yes." He finds their appointment on his computer. "Please head up to the eighth floor and wait there."

"Thank you." They walk away, SuA's hands clasped tightly together in front of her.

"Relax a little." Siyeon chides her, not dropping her role. "I know this is your first time accompanying me to a meeting outside of our company, but I promise it's not that bad."

"Yes, ma'am." She instead holds her arms stiffly by her sides.

At the eighth floor, they sat waiting outside of a door with a plaque labelling it as the CEO's.

Finally, it unlocks and a portly man steps out, beaming at them. "Pleased to meet you two!"

"And you too, Mr Song." Siyeon shakes his hand with professional ease. "I am both surprised and thrilled that our companies could be working together in the future."

His smile stretches wider. "Ah, you took the words right out of my mouth. I've heard many promising things about your company. Now, come on in." The man steps back to invite them in, holding the door.

They walk in, single-file.

"Ready." Siyeon murmurs as her hands sneaks inside her blazer.

He sits at the desk as Siyeon draws out the handgun smoothly, pointing it at his face. The emotion drains from her face as she does, becoming a stern mask incapable of emotion.

"W-what?" He stutters in bewilderment.

"You've made some enemies." She pulls the trigger and the silent shot tears through his eye, exiting the back of his head in an explosion of flesh and blood.

SuA recoils from the sight. "Oh my God..." She gaps in horror as Siyeon double-checks that the man is dead. Next, she inserts a memory stick into the computer.

"Wh-what does that do?"

"Deletes all the files via virus. It was a request made by the rival company." She says, stepping around his body easily.

SuA has much more trouble, her eyes never leaving the collapsed man. "Oh my."

"Right, that's done." Siyeon yanks her memory stick out from the computer and tucks it back into her blazer. Her eyes look at SuA, eyeing her nauseous expression. "Are you going to be sick?"

"No." SuA squeaks, a hand over her mouth. Her face is pale.

"We need to get out of here, so you need to cool that shit down."

"I can't believe it was so violent."

Siyeon steps closer, her hands hesitantly reaching out to hold SuA's shoulders. "Look. Once we get to the car, you can let it all out. Barf everything up, cry all over me, whatever you want. Just...hold it in until we get out of here. Can you at least do that for me?"

SuA hesitates to look at her, cheeks flushing in embarrassment. "This is so mortifying. How can I be like you if I'm like this?"

"This is a new situation." Siyeon reassures. "You just have to...get used to it." She winces at her own poor word choice. "Just take a few deep breaths and let's leave."

SuA follows her instructions, taking several deep inhales. Eventually, she calms enough to raise her head. "Let's go." She says in a small voice.

"Great." Siyeon beams and flicks a fleck of something squishy from her shoulder. "Let's go. And keep a straight face."

They left the office, making sure not to open the door too widely, beaming at the CEO's secretary as they pass by.

It doesn't take them long to leave the building and walk down the road towards their waiting car. When they get near, Changkyun rolls the window down.

"Hey, how'd it go?" He grins.

"Excellent."

SuA groans loudly, a hand still over her mouth.

"Do you have a sick bag?" Siyeon asks hastily.

"Nope. Best you can do is direct her to the pavement."

SuA turns away from the car and vomits loudly onto the pavement. Siyeon looks away until she hears that she's finished, offering a crumpled tissue.

She takes it without looking. After a few more moments, she straightens and faces her.

"Sorry to rush you, but we need to go." Siyeon says and takes SuA by the arm into the car, shutting the door.

They drive off.

SuA leans limply onto Siyeon's shoulder, her breathing harried.

"How do you feel?" She asks finally.

"Is that something I'm going to have to do myself?" SuA asks in a helpless voice.

"Highly likely. But let me tell you, I've heard worse stories about trainees on their first tag-along missions."

"That doesn't make me feel any better." She starts to weep, her tears wetting Siyeon's arm. "It's always so much easier for me to kill from afar. I never really saw the consequences. Seeing that dead man, just, just made me think of my family--"

"Oh." Siyeon realises.

"And their dead bodies. Lifeless and bloody."

She wraps an arm around SuA's body, drawing her further in. "I'm sorry."

SuA doesn't say anything, continuing to cry.


	8. Chapter 8

When they return to the company, Siyeon heads to the Junior Missions manager with SuA for a follow-up meeting after the assassination.

Mr Yong invites them in and they sit at a table opposite him.

"The target was eliminated." Siyeon reports.

SuA sits beside her, face flushed of colour.

"Excellent." He looks at his computer. "The surveillance team said you handled it well, as usual. Your infiltration was perfect and unseen difficulties," His gaze passes warmly to SuA for a moment. "Were taken care of. Well done, Siyeon." He praises warmly.

"Thank you, Mr Yong."

"And Miss Kim." SuA looks at him, concern for what he would say.

"Yes?" She croaks.

"I'm aware that this is something new for you, and I appreciate how you handled yourself. But this career is no place for the faint-hearted. If you want to quit at any time, do so." He says seriously. "Do you understand?"

"Yes." She nods with a stiff jerk of her head.

"Good. You're both free to leave my office now."

"Thanks, Mr Yong."

"That's alright, Siyeon." He smiles and the two of them leave the room.

"I have some news for you." Siyeon says as they start down the corridor. "We've got a weekend off from training! Two days off." She beams.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah. Dami told me yesterday. She originally said in a week's time, but after the events of today, I encouraged her to move it to this weekend. That's who I was speaking to in the car."

"That's unusually considerate." SuA says weakly. "But...thanks."

"You can go anywhere you want, don't worry. You don't have to stay with me."

***

'My hometown. That's where I'm going.'

Siyeon recalls SuA's words with puzzlement in the early morning of Friday.

"Does that place feel like home anymore to her?" Siyeon questioned the ceiling as she lay in bed. "Her family were killed there and the culprits still live there. So why?"

She has no other family there either. So why was she going back? It can't just be to see the sights.

She gets out of bed and walks out to SuA's bedroom door, hesitating to step inside.

"I need to find out." She convinces herself, feeling the desire to protect the girl.

Slowly, her hand touched the door handle and opened it gently. She sought out SuA's shape, seeing it wrapped tightly in her duvet. 

In the low morning light coming through the curtains, she saw that SuA has already packed a large bag, bulging with the stuff inside.

"Jackpot." She whispers, eyeing the desk. She reaches out and sees a train ticket on top of a pile of papers.

"Ugghhh!" SuA rolls with a war cry groan and falls off the bed.

Siyeon flinches and quickly puts the train ticket up, inches away from her face so that she can make out the dates and times.

Seoul to Changwon. Saturday morning.

She looks back at SuA, who is still wrapped up in her puffy duvet and still sleeping soundly. How does she manage to even keep sleeping?

"Go away." SuA mutters, her face buried in her arms.

With a soft snort of amusement, Siyeon leaves the room as quietly as she entered, which wasn't really that quiet, with the door squeaking as she opened it and her feet scuffing along the floor.

Why did she do that?

Siyeon was going to follow SuA there.

***

That Friday, she met up with Yoohyeon.

"I haven't seen you in so long!" Yoohyeon squeals excitedly.

"You saw me at school today." Siyeon laughs and hugs the girl, who is dressed casually in a black-and-white striped top with a black pinafore skirt.

"But we haven't met up outside of school in so long!" Her excitement never fades and she intertwines fingers with Siyeon. "I'm ready to have some proper fun."

Her elation fuelled Siyeon's happiness as she starts to run with the girl along the pavement that runs along the river.

Together, they turn and face the entrance to the theme park, where many people are already streaming past to enter.

"Let's go." They walk in and the sights of different theme park rides are enough to excite Siyeon, coupled with the fact that she's going to enjoy the day with her best friend.

"Where should we go first?" She shrugs.

"I don't know." Yoohyeon shrugs carelessly. "So long as we're together. Pick a ride that you love the most if you really want me to decide."

"A roller-coaster." Siyeon says. "That's what my dad and I always went on as tradition whenever we went to a theme park."

"Call." Yoohyeon agrees and they head in the general direction after consulting a map. "What did your mum do while you two were on the roller-coaster?"

"Stay firmly put on solid ground." Siyeon replies with a chuckle. "She hated theme parks because any ride gave her a migraine. Her head was quite sensitive to movement."

"That's a shame." Yoohyeon pouts. "Did you ever mind, when you were younger?"

"I think, I just understood that it was Dad that would go on the rides with me and Mum would just sit down by herself. Thinking about it now, Mum must have been lonely."

"Hey, you're here to have fun." Yoohyeon gently persuades her. "I'm sure your mum's happy now with your dad."

"I'm sure you're right." Siyeon says, her mind still preoccupied with the memories. They make her smile, but now whenever she recalls the memories, they seem further away from her present-self, as if she had changed who she was.

"Hey, here we are." Yoohyeon stops her and points at the small line. "C'mon, let's get in line before anyone else gets there!" She runs for the line, dragging Siyeon along behind her.

With effort, Siyeon steps away from the memories of the theme park to focus on the present and the fun she's having now. Yoohyeon next her, her cheeriness infecting her with smiles.

The seat bar locks down over them and Siyeon glances at Yoohyeon, who looks to be regretting her decision.

"You okay?" She laughs teasingly.

"Of course." Yoohyeon says back quickly. "I love roller-coasters."

"Keep telling yourself that." She fires back as they start off with a jolt. "Hey, when the camera goes off at the incline, I dare you to smile your biggest smile."

"Oh yeah?" Yoohyeon takes her challenge willingly as her hands tighten around the safety bar over her shoulders. "Then I dare you to have a straight face, no wait. That's too easy for you!"

Siyeon laughs. "Too right!"

"Then...cute?"

"You're on." The roller-coaster starts to ominously climb the incline, the clicking constant and echoing as they continue upwards.

They reach the top and are able to see out across the park and city. Siyeon admires the view briefly before she looks down at the drop in excitement, ready to fill out her part of the dare.

"Go!" Yoohyeon screams as they plummet.

***

Siyeon buys the image at the desk after the ride, not yet looking at the outcomes of their dares.

"Are you ready?" She grins as she returns to Yoohyeon and sits at the bench, photo in hand. She flips it over and puts it on the table.

Yoohyeon peers to look at it, not taking long to burst out laughing. "I look psycho!"

Her expression of happiness was crazily forced, eyes wide and staring, and mouth stretched across her face, revealing gleaming white teeth. Her eyebrows contrasted to her expression, voicing her real emotions of fear more than her features.

"Let's say you passed that. I'm inclined to be lenient." Siyeon accepts.

"I'll say you passed too. Barely."

"Are you insulting my cuteness?" Siyeon looks at the image of herself where she had managed to manoeuvre her arm around the seat bar to hold it to her face. She had puffed her cheeks and pouted. "I look...very cute." Embarrassment makes her cheeks flush.

"Uh-huh." Yoohyeon nods, but doesn't verbally dispute with her. Instead, she chooses to bring out her camera.

"You brought your camera?" Siyeon asks.

"Yeah. I thought I could get some good shots here." She takes a picture of Siyeon and checks the image immediately and mutters. "Too much light." And then spins one of the dials. She takes another photo that Siyeon is happy to pose for and nods in satisfaction.

Siyeon spots bubblewrap peeking out of Yoohyeon's bag and pokes it cheekily. "What's with all the bubblewrap? Can't you just put it in your bag?" She snickers.

"I don't want it to get damaged." She protests, stuffing the bubble wrap deeper into her bag. "The last time I didn't, I broke the lens! It took forever to save the money to get it fixed."

"Okay, fair point." Siyeon backs down, watching Yoohyeon as she stares intently at her camera.

"Can you look like I've just complimented you?" Yoohyeon asks and puts her camera up to her face, the lens facing Siyeon.

Because she is so used to Yoohyeon's demands whenever she was taking photos, Siyeon tries her best without embarrassment and grins brightly as her eyes crinkle. For an extra touch, she leans on the table with an elbow.

"Ooh, I love it." Yoohyeon giggles. "I like how that turned out. Now...Can you look like you're in love with me?"

"That's easy." Siyeon replies and she looks at Yoohyeon, eyeing the way she focuses once she gets her camera out. She focuses on the parts she loves about Yoohyeon, everywhere, but especially her eyes. Siyeon gives her the eyes, flirting through them as she reaches an arm out across the table.

Yoohyeon takes her stabilising hand off the camera to take Siyeon's outstretched one and takes a few more pictures.

"Perfect." She beams. "I can look forward to editing them now."

Siyeon doesn't let Yoohyeon let go of her hand and continues to smile at her until they're both giggling uncontrollably.

Finally, she asks the question nagging at her. "Do you like me?"

"Of course I do." Yoohyeon replies without hesitation. "You're wonderful."


	9. Chapter 9

From the moment SuA enters the train carriage, Siyeon is watching her.

To avoid SuA recognising her, she wears a disguise - A dark, short-haired wig and baggy clothing suitable to that of an older woman. She also has latex pasted to her face to change the shape of it, widening her jaw and fattening her nose along with other small details.

"Just doing surveillance on my trainee." Siyeon gives the excuse to her favourite member of the Disguise department, Joohyun.

"Were you told to?" Joohyun's mischievous smile says that she already knows the answer.

"Just personal curiosity."

"Well, I don't see anything wrong with that." She agrees.

The train arrives at Changwon after several hours and Siyeon's eyes dart to SuA as she gets ready to leave.

She too gets up, keeping her actions calm and lines up at the door on the other side of the carriage. Unable to stifle a yawn, her mouth opens wide and she covers her mouth quickly with a hand and small apology.

Siyeon's hand reaches up to tuck a stray strand of the wig back behind her ear and she walks out of the carriage with the crowd of people, keeping her eyes on SuA.

She sees a flash of SuA's red woollen coat as she heads towards the toilets, so Siyeon stops by the lost property desk to wait and looks at the signs on the wall.

It didn't take long for SuA to finish, but when she comes out, she now carries a long, leather rectangular case.

Siyeon recognises the type of inconspicuous case she carries as one that holds a rifle.

"Where the hell did she--?"

Concerned intrigue hits her and she follows close behind, already working out what she wants a rifle for.

To kill the man who killed her family.

Hurrying to follow closer, as well as casually reversing her coat as she walked so that it was now a different colour, Siyeon follows SuA.

***

As SuA begins to take more backroads and pedestrians become less-present, it is more dangerous now for her to keep following so close, so she drops back on her distance behind again so that she was always turning the corner once SuA was out of sight. One time as she follows the girl, she lowers her head quickly and changes her wig to a lighter one with more white strands present.

SuA enters a block of flats and it is instantly clear that she is heading for the roof as Siyeon inconspicuously follows her up the stairs. To divert suspicion, she heads into one of the corridors of flats and uses the stairs there to head to the roof.

The door to the roof slams shut and Siyeon has no choice but to wait behind it, hand on the warm metal.

After she feels enough time has passed, Siyeon carefully twists the handle and pushes the door to step out.

"Why the fuck are you following me?" SuA voice demands in fury and something hard slams Siyeon in the back of her head.

She collapses to her knees dizzily and SuA hits her again, causing her to slump to the ground, only partially conscious.

"I'll deal with you once I've done this." Her footsteps recede.

Pain resonates through her skull and Siyeon can already feel the blood dripping through her scalp. But she needs to stop SuA.

That thought brings her to unsteady feet and she squints to look around for SuA, finding her at the roof edge.

Siyeon stumbles over, a hand to her head and the other outwards to help her balance.

"Where are you, bastard?" SuA mutters to herself as she peers through the scope of her rifle.

That confirms Siyeon's suspicion. To avoid further attack, she throws her wig off and peels the latex away from her face.

She crouches next to SuA, who reacts explosively with a cry and swings a fist.

Weakly, Siyeon blocks it but the fist still hits her. "Stop."

"Siyeon?" SuA exclaims. "You were...following me?"

"Yeah." She leans against the railing as her throbbing head spins and her vision goes dark for a few moments. "I came to stop you from making this stupid mistake. You can't expect to march up here and be able to kill him."

"Why can't I?"

"Because he's likely keeping an eye out for you." Siyeon reasons. "You're a danger to him. So I reckon there's people watching you, right now."

"What a load of--"

She is cut off as a bullet fires into her arm and she's almost thrown over the low railing by the force with which it hits her. Siyeon rights her quickly, but feels the world spin and collapses to her hands and knees as someone enters her line of vision.

"Your friend is right." The male voice gloats. "But I doubt Minhyuk even reckoned you would come back this quickly."

"Surprise." SuA grunts, clutching a hand to the bloody hole in her arm.

Siyeon feels useless, unable to do anything for fear of passing out. Even as she watches his feet approach, she can't raise a hand in defence.

He takes her jaw in his leather-gloved hand. "Interesting friend. What if she's an assassin like you?"

"Keep your hands off her."

His hand forces Siyeon to look up into his gleaming eyes, her eyelids drooping. He grins widely. "Won't Minhyuk be happy to have two assassin women in his hands?" Her drops his hand from her chin and stands again.

"You're not going to kill me?"

"I mean, I'd love to. But he wants to do it himself. A sense of the 'full set'. You know, killing the whole family, getting rid of one of his headaches."

"You bastard!" She snarls.

"Oh, keep your hands right where they are! I don't want you trying to kill me."

While his attention is on SuA, Siyeon draws out her own handgun, falling to the ground to hide her movement and positions the barrel so that it faces him but stays hidden underneath her loose coat.

"Now, if you'll follow me, I can take you straight to Minhyuk. You'll have to carry your friend though."

Her finger clenches on the trigger and his body flies back as it is hit by the bullet. He doesn't move again once hitting the ground.

"Did you do that?" SuA asks as she helps her sit up.

"Yeah."

"I'm sorry for attacking you!" She finally cries, taking her in a hug. "I just thought..."

"It's fine." Siyeon waves her words away. "But. Just...what did you hit me with?" She struggles to articulate her thoughts clearly.

"A brick." She confesses, her eyes on Siyeon's wound. "There's so much blood..."

"Is there a hotel nearby?" Siyeon asks.

"A few blocks down."

"Let's go there then and clean up." Siyeon gets to her feet. "I do need to speak with you."

***

Outside of their room, Siyeon faints and SuA struggles under her weight with a grunt.

Using one hand to unlock the door and open it, she uses the other to keep Siyeon upright. Once she succeeds, she takes Siyeon into the bathroom and lies her against the bath.

It isn't the best place for her to rest, but she needs to clean the wound.

With hesitation, SuA takes the chance to observe Siyeon's face close-up, noting her soft, sweat-covered features.

Her face is free of make-up and SuA is in silent admiration of her beauty, only noticing all these small things because she's trying to distract herself from the more serious parts, like the blood running down her temple.

She feels her clammy forehead for her temperature - Hot.

Finally gaining the courage to look at the more gruesome part, SuA looks at the wound in Siyeon's head, shower head in hand to wash the blood off.

Gently. She starts at the bottom of the wound that stretches from behind her right ear to the back of her head. When she reaches the deepest part, Siyeon moans quietly through her unconscious state.

"I'm sorry." She whispers. "I know it hurts." When the blood is all rinsed off, she can see the wound in better detail, noting it was still oozing blood.

"What should I do?"

She leaves the bathroom to dig through her backpack, finding a roll of bandages and antiseptic wipes.

When SuA returns to the room, she takes her time cleaning the wound and bandaging it. It's hard for her to ignore the regular whimpers of pain that tear at her heart.

Once done, she lies Siyeon on the bed, partially satisfied of the good job she did of dressing the wound.

All she had to do now was to wait for Siyeon to wake up.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to update this on here. Sorry.

Later that afternoon, Siyeon woke, her eyes squinting as she realises she's lying face down on a bed. There is a deep throbbing behind her dry eyes and her lips crack as she takes a gasp of air.

"SuA?" She asks aloud weakly.

"You're awake!" SuA comes to her bedside. "Do you want to sit up?"

"I can do that myself." Siyeon sits herself against the headboard slowly and winces a little at the pain in her head.

"How do you feel?" SuA sits on the bed beside her, watching with a worried expression.

"A little weak." She admits, putting a hand to her head and feeling the bandages. "Thank you for dressing the wound. I'll give you an A for effort." Siyeon attempts humour to which SuA responds with a small smile.

"I cleaned it with water and antiseptic wipes." She says, watching as Siyeon's face becomes more serious.

"Good...but we need to talk about what you tried to do."

"Yes." She replies feebly, looking away in clear shame.

"I understand that that man killed your family and you want to kill him for doing so. But, you can't be reckless in doing so. You didn't do any surveillance, you immediately tried to kill him with only a basic knowledge of his schedule, hm?"

"I didn't do any surveillance." She admits in a small voice.

"Not to mention that our company rules are against you carrying out an assassination outside of missions."

SuA bows her head is shame. "Are you going to tell Miss Dami?"

"No." She answers simply, after a pause. "I'd likely lose you as a trainee if I did so. But it isn't just about the effect it has on me. I want you to see closure on your family's deaths." The pause is longer this time. "So...I'm perfectly willing to help you assassinate Minhyuk and never say a word about it to Dami."

"You what?" SuA is shocked.

"Perfectly serious." Siyeon reiterates coolly. "We'll have to do it tomorrow, because this is your last holiday for a while."

"What about surveillance?"

"You seemed to know when he was going to leave the building. Do you have some...information?"

"I bribed someone to give me his schedule." She admits and takes her phone out to look at the said document.

"Let me see." Siyeon takes her phone and peers at the screen, wincing at its brightness. "He's leaving tomorrow, early in the morning for another city."

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to do it today."

"Do you know where he lives? We can assassinate him there."

"He lives on the top floor of his company building." SuA replies.

"That makes everything easier then. There's not much need for surveillance apart from checking he's in there when we go."

"Okay."

"Do you want...him to know that you killed him?" Siyeon asks her question slowly, not able to guess what SuA's answer would be.

Though her face drains of colour at her words, she nods. "I want to kill him up close. And personal. I want him to know it's me."

"That's fine." Siyeon thinks quickly of how they could achieve that. Do you think it's possible to infiltrate the building?"

"There's CCTV, but there's likely to be no one but him in the building. He's a pretty conceited fuck."

"Great. I can persuade a member of the Surveillance team to sort out the CCTV for us so we can get in easily." She nods, knowing that she would be able to pull in a favour easily.

"How will we get in?"

Siyeon digs through her backpack and brings out a coil of cable with a sturdy hook on the end. "This is zip-wire cable, pretty sturdy stuff. We can move from the roof of the building we were on today to the building's roof."

"That sounds...unrealistic. Does it really work?"

She nods enthusiastically. "I've used it many times."

SuA's face pales again as her eyes watch the hook. "Well. I hope it goes well."


	11. Chapter 11

Early the next morning as the sun was just starting to rise, Siyeon and SuA were back on the same roof as the day before.

One light was on at the top floor of the building, confirming what SuA had said.

Siyeon readies herself mentally, knowing that she is and has to be the expert in this situation with her inexperienced trainee. She emits confidence as she takes a deep breath and lets a self-assured smile pass through her expression.

It was different to completing something like this by herself where she only had to look after herself. Now, she had an extra body to protect and guide.

"Watch me." She launches the cable across the gap between the buildings after swinging it several times to gain momentum where it hooks onto the lip of the roof. As she steps up to the edge, the gap looks larger than ever and she gulps.

With some hesitation, she launches herself over the edge, holding tightly to the wire coiled around her gloved fists.

Speedily, Siyeon swings down towards the wall of the building, holding her bent legs in front of her to take the weight of her impact. When her feet make connection with the wall, she keeps her knees relaxed but solid and balances herself. She's over halfway up the building.

She turns to look back at SuA, watching her face at the top of the roof, peeking out nervously. Using one hand, she waves at SuA before hastily returning her hand to the wire and using her arms to pull herself up.

Her feet push against the wall to help her arms and she soon is able to throw herself over the top of the wall and falls down onto the roof.

Carefully, she gets to her feet and waves again at SuA, who nods her head slowly, holding her own coil of wire. Siyeon beckons for her to throw it towards her, knowing she'll be able to catch it if SuA misses.

SuA starts to swing the wire, gathering momentum until her arm flies up and releases the wire.

The hook flies for Siyeon and she reaches her hands out to catch it. She does so successfully, though the hook tears a gash in her palm.

Pretending she hadn't been hurt, she secures the hook under the lip of the roof edge, giving a thumbs up to SuA.

Though SuA nods again, it takes her several more seconds to shuffle to the edge. Her eyes cast down and she wobbles on her perch, the wire wrapped tightly around her fist.

Siyeon wants to tell her that it will be alright, but doesn't want to bring attention to them, so keeps quiet as she watches the girl struggle to push herself over the edge.

Her eyes look up towards Siyeon before she closes them and jumps down.

Siyeon makes sure the hook stays where it is so SuA doesn't plummet to her death as she flies down towards the wall. When she checks on SuA again, she is balanced against the wall.

"I'll pull you up." She mouths and winds the wire around her fists, walking backwards with it so that SuA could eventually pull herself over the edge.

Her body tumbles to the floor and she lies there gasping as Siyeon watches on, sympathetic to the emotions of elation and fear she must be experiencing.

"Let's go." She murmurs to SuA once she's coiled up both wires and tucked them back into her backpack.

SuA rolls onto her front and gets to her feet with shivering limbs. "He'll be awake right now."

"Yeah, I think so too. So, I'll make sure of his location, then you can go in. It's all up to you what you do with him, okay?"

"Yes." She mumbles in reply.

Siyeon takes her hand, deciding that SuA needs the comfort and opens the roof door effortlessly. They walk down the stairs with caution and when they reach the door at the bottom, Siyeon pauses to listen.

"His living quarters must be here. I can hear shower water running. I'll go in first."

She releases SuA's hand, but not before giving it a squeeze and opens the door.

As she predicted, she steps into Minhyuk's living quarters.

To the left, she sees a closed door, still hearing the shower water running and splatting over him. Over to her right there is an open door, so she walks to it. The bedroom.

Down the hallway from the bedroom is the kitchen and the living room, which is through a separate door.

Siyeon creeps back to the door SuA stands behind, pulling the girl back to the living room with her. There, they sit on the sofa.

"He's in the shower. Either he'll come in here of his own accord after, or you can make a sound to force him to come in."

"Right."

Siyeon pulls a combat knife out of her backpack and offers it, handle first to SuA. "You know the best places to hit."

"Yeah." She agrees weakly.

The sound of the shower stops and SuA freezes in place, staring at the sharp knife blade.

Siyeon takes her backpack. "I'll hide in the stairwell. Come when you've finished."

She leaves the room and SuA is alone with her tortured thoughts.

The girl can imagine herself plunging the blade through Minhyuk's chest, but can't imagine the way she'll deal with the aftermath. If her first mission with Siyeon was anything to go by...Not good.

SuA moves to listen at the door, her hands clenched around the knife. A door slams and she assumes it to be the bedroom door.

Forcing herself to keep calm and that she was in control, she sits back down and makes a script of what she'll say.

Before she's ready, the bedroom door opens again and her breath slows.

"Now what should I have for breakfast?" SuA hears his suave voice, bringing memories along with it. As the sick lump rises in her throat, she swallows it again.

Cupboards open and close.

SuA forces her cards by opening the door with a short push. It swings lazily open.

"Huh?" He says as it attracts his attention.

She sits on the sofa furthest from the door.

"Is there someone else here?" He appears in the doorway.

Her heart races at his appearance and she almost goes light-headed with fright.

His eyes take in her appearance and his face splits into a smile. "Oh, it's you."

"It's me." She agrees casually.

"Nice to see you." His tone is taut and mocking.

"You too." She keeps the knife hidden.

He sits on the sofa closest to the door, crossing his legs. "Why are you here?"

"I came to see you." SuA says with equal calm, biting her lip.

"You remember the condition you accepted? That if I saw you again I would kill you? So...why are you back?" His tone hardens and SuA knows it's her only chance to draw him in.

"I came to die." She says serenely and her fear incites a tear to brim in her eye, eventually spilling down her cheek. "Life...is hopeless now."

Minhyuk smiles, but brief befuddlement is clear in his eyes. The look is soon replaced with amusement. He gets up and walks towards her. "You wish to die at my hands?"

She nods tearfully, staying put on the sofa as he continues to advance.

His bare feet touch hers and he is right in front of her, looming over.

"Do you want me to kill you?"

"Do it." She says, looking at him unblinkingly. "Please..."

His veiny hands reach out for her throat, taking it in his rough hands. They carefully adjust their position as his eyes met hers.

The moment his hands tighten, SuA swings her arm out from behind in a tight arc, slamming the blade up to the hilt between his ribs on his right side.

Bewilderment comes into his expression as he looks down, his hands leaving her neck as they search for the wound she inflicted. "You--"

To further incapacitate him, she twists the knife as she draws it out and slices it across his throat.

Minhyuk falls back onto the floor as his blood soaks into the carpet. His body flops as he struggles weakly. Blood gurgles from his mouth.

His eyes follow SuA as she crouches beside him.

"I hate you." She spits.

The man attempts to say something, but he instead slumps back, his eyes wide and staring.

"It's over. Oh, God. It's over." Her body curls on the sofa and she weeps into her knees with releasing sobs, the vice tightening her chest releasing its grip on her. 

It was over. 

She stands shakily, unable to tear her blurry eyes away from his now vulnerable body. She leaves the room and goes to Siyeon in the stairwell.

"Is he dead?"

"Yes." SuA hands the knife back lifelessly. "I can't believe I killed him."

"How long did it take?"

"Under a minute." SuA watches Siyeon as she wipes the blade free of blood on a rag. "It's over."

Siyeon looks on as relief seems to pass through SuA's body again and she starts to snivel uncontrollably.

"Hey, it's okay." Siyeon reassures, embracing her. "He's gone now and you can forget about him! Think of it like that."

"It's over." She repeats in her arms.


	12. Chapter 12

When they return to training the next day, Siyeon finds SuA being more...energetic.

Now she's not just hard-working, she wants to improve and demands answers constantly on how she can do better.

SuA's body takes the recoil of the rifle as it fires. The bullet hits where the left eye would be. In the moment she realises that she hits where she wanted, her head turns to Siyeon, eyes expectant.

"That's amazing!" Siyeon compliments warmly with a thumbs up. "If you keep that up, you're going to be amazing!"

"Thanks, Siyeon." SuA flashes a shy smile that even reaches her eyes, telling Siyeon that she means it.

Their relationship feels to be better and Siyeon rejoices in the fact that every conversation didn't end in an argument, though it felt odd that the reason they may get on better was because she helped SuA kill an enemy.

There must be another reason behind her trying so hard, Siyeon thinks as she watches SuA take aim again.

***

Yoohyeon joins Siyeon on the roof, who is already smoking heavily.

"You're in a different mood to usual." She comments as she sits, taking out a breakfast bar.

"What's that?" Siyeon looks out across the city, her eyes squinting as the sun's glare hits her.

"...Happier." Yoohyeon raises her eyebrows and nods. "That's the perfect word for how you look." Unexpectedly, she sneezes and fishes out a tissue.

"Bless you. Er, happier?" She finally looks at her, amazed at the perception of her friend. "I guess I do feel...happier."

"That's great then." Yoohyeon agrees and takes a bite from the bar, finishing it in two bites. "Do you know what's made you happier?"

"You?" Siyeon grins at her, taking the cigarette from her lips to hold. "You make me very happy. I feel like I could spend the rest of my days with you."

"That's a sweet thing to say." Yoohyeon cheers and slyly takes the cigarette from Siyeon's hand to put it between her own lips.

"Hey!" Siyeon protests lazily. "That's mine."

"It's cheaper this way." She retorts and takes a puff, breathing the hazy smoke from her nostrils.

"Heya, Siyeon?" A new voice calls with uncertainty.

Siyeon turns where the sound comes from, seeing SuA standing in the doorway. She waves nervously.

Yoohyeon whispers to Siyeon, her voice husky. "That's that new girl. Do you know her?"

"Yeah." Siyeon breathes back and waves. "Hey, SuA! Want to come over?"

The girl nods and she jogs over to them.

"Sit, sit." Siyeon pats the space next to her.

"I didn't know you two were friends." Yoohyeon comments, leaning forward to talk with SuA.

SuA flushes. "We met at, er..."

"A youth club." Siyeon improvises. "We've just started really getting on."

"I can see." Yoohyeon's eyes twinkle knowingly.

SuA doesn't comment on their smoking, but frowns disapprovingly. Siyeon catches her look but keeps silent.

"So where have you come from, SuA?" Yoohyeon inquires curiously.

"Changwon." SuA replies. "My parents moved here for their jobs."

"Oh, that must have been hard for you, having to leave your friends."

"I've got used to it now." SuA gives a small smile. "And I've found some new friends here." Her eyes pass to Siyeon and she nudges closer.

"That's great." Yoohyeon doesn't miss her movement and an eyebrow flicks up quickly, hiding it with an outbreak of sniffing. She takes her tissue out again, busying herself with that.

Siyeon stills, feeling the heat of their bodies hitting her, enjoying the company of both of them.

The two girls make her experience identical emotions of wanting, closeness and the fluttery feeling that plagues her whenever she is close to one of them.

Cutting through the still air, the school alarm rings and they all reluctantly stand to get ready for the lesson.

"Good to meet you." Yoohyeon beams and hugs SuA tightly. "Perhaps we can become great friends."

***

"Didn't know you were friends with the new girl." Yoohyeon starts conversationally as she bundles up in her duvet on the floor by her bed.

Siyeon shrugs and slips a disk into Yoohyeon's laptop. "We just met somehow and got on. You okay with watching a horror film?"

"You've already put the DVD in. I don't think I have a choice." Yoohyeon grins and opens the duvet again. "Come and cuddle with me."

They snuggle together, sharing the duvet and warmth. Their eyes watch the screen as the menu loads, flashing with glitching images of red, unexplainable things.

Yoohyeon's body tenses. "I like horror films, but they're scary."

"I know." Siyeon says and leans forward to turn the subtitles on before pressing 'Play film".

"Why do you always turn subtitles on?" She asks lightly.

"My mum always did, so I always do." Siyeon shrugs.

"That's sweet." She pulls Siyeon back so that she is sitting in front of her and cuddles herself and the duvet around her.

Scary music begins to fill the room as the film starts.

Yoohyeon's arms encircle Siyeon's waist, hands resting on her stomach under her shirt. Siyeon doesn't pull away, only turning to smile at her.

The butterflies were already fluttering in her stomach and she can feel her face flush.

She, a hard, emotionless soul who's killed many people, goes woozy over a girl?

"You're too cute." She breathes, now ignoring the film. Her eyes stare ahead, barely focusing on the film.

Yoohyeon's eyes disappear in her smile and she giggles, dropping her head onto Siyeon's shoulder. "Aw, don't..." Her hands grip Siyeon tighter.

Even as screams come from the laptop's speakers, their eyes are locked on each other, Siyeon's head turned to meet hers, every breath mingling.

Yoohyeon's eyes are half-closed, eyelashes long and fluttering.

Siyeon's face leans forward first, pressing her lips onto Yoohyeon's. She pulls away slightly to gauge Yoohyeon's expression.

Loving it.

Yoohyeon leans in and pecks her on the lips, her smile parting her face as she draws away. "I like this." She admits.

"Okay then." Siyeon moves close again and this time when their lips meet, they kiss each other, moving with each other and bopping noses as Siyeon fully turns to face Yoohyeon, her legs moving around her waist.

"Do you like that?" She asks in their pause for breath.

In answer, Yoohyeon kisses her.

"I like you." Siyeon finally confesses. "We, we just get on so well with each other and I'm always missing you when you're not here..." She draws off as Yoohyeon kisses her neck silently, working up towards her ear. The feeling draws shivers down her spine and she grins.

"Do you really love me?" Yoohyeon asks in a whisper as she pushes Siyeon back to lie on the floor.

"Of course I do." Siyeon breathes, letting Yoohyeon take control.

"Really?" Yoohyeon asks in knowing disbelief, her eyes staring into Siyeon's as if they were looking right into her soul.

As Siyeon faces her, her cheeks reddening as she flashes up an image of SuA. "O-of course."

"Uh-huh." Yoohyeon smiles again, though it seems a little sadder than before.

"I like you, Yoohyeon." She says empathetically, her hands reaching up to Yoohyeon.

"I'm happy if you're happy. Be with who you love and I'll be happy for you."

"I don't deserve you, Yoohyeon."


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, Siyeon is alone in lesson. Yoohyeon has gone down with a cold, which explains her unexpected sneezes and sniffles the day before.

It doesn't feel as lonely because she's able to focus on the lesson better. If Yoohyeon wasn't in, before she started trying to study hard, it would be a very boring lesson for her.

Though her friend isn't with her, she heads to the roof as normal, avoiding the patrolling teachers. The door to the roof is never locked and no teachers ever venture out.

It is still morning and the sun is bright in the sky, cutting through the thin clouds to bleed light across the city.

Siyeon steps out onto the roof, gravel crunching under her head as she makes her way to their usual spot beside the railings where she could let her legs dangle.

Once she sits, her hands dig out her cigarette packet and fumble for a one.

Siyeon is addicted to smoking, never considering trying to stop. For she hasn't failed any of her fitness tests yet. The dopamine rush it gives her was what she loves and craves. The smell of the smoke also reminds her constantly of...The Fire.

"That's bad for you." The voice of karma broke through her thoughts as SuA sits heavily next to her.

"I know." She lights the cigarette anyway and takes a puff.

SuA sighs but doesn't continue. "Could I have one?"

"A cigarette?" She replies with a shocked tone. "You just said that they're bad for you!"

"I want one." SuA pouts as she says it firmly. "I'll pay the consequences."

Siyeon laughs at her." You're weird." But passes her a cigarette anyway.

SuA takes it, immediately pushing it between her lips and manages to smear her lipstick on it.

"You're wearing lipstick at school?" She scoffs jokingly and passes the lighter.

"Oh, shut it." She says irritably as she struggles to get a flame from the lighter. Her thumb flicks the wheel again and it grinds against the flint but produces no spark.

"Come here." Siyeon takes it back. "You just need practice." She flicks the lighter so that a flame springs up and she leans in close to light SuA's cigarette, locking eyes when they were less than centimetres apart.

Their breaths collide and Siyeon believes for a moment that that is the moment where she'll do something she regrets, but SuA shoves her away.

"Stop being so close." Her cheeks turn pink.

"I was just lighting it." Siyeon excuses, her own heart throbbing.

SuA inhales, immediately choking on the smoke. "What the hell? How can you inflict this on yourself?"

She shrugs. "I've just got used to it. And it feels good."

"Uh-huh. Tell your lungs that."

Siyeon ignores her, deliberately breathing out a big cloud of grey smoke which SuA just sighs at as she stubs out her cigarette on the concrete.

***

Siyeon walks to Yoohyeon's house as evening begins to fall. In her hands, she holds a box of chocolates, Yoohyeon's favourite.

Once she's outside of her house, Siyeon texts Yoohyeon that she's outside. Soon, the door opens and the girl peeps out. "Are you here just to give me chocolates?"

"I want to see you." Siyeon says. "School was lonely without you today."

"Wasn't SuA there?"

"She's not the same as you." The words feel almost fake in her mouth, but she grins.

Yoohyeon smiles at that and invites her in. As she enters, Siyeon looks back at the sky, where darkening clouds gather together into angry masses.

They move to her room.

"Is your mum here?"

"Yeah, she's drinking in the living room." Yoohyeon replies in an off-hand way and slips back into bed, taking a tissue in hand.

"How are you feeling?" Siyeon asks gently as Yoohyeon blows her nose and sniffs half-heartedly.

"Ill." She says simply. "I hope you don't get my cold after what we did yesterday.

Siyeon's face turns scarlet at the mention of the previous day and her heart pounds. Thinking of the girl before her was enough to set of these strings of emotions, not to mention looking at her.

"Don't worry about me." She waves her hand and cuddles close, on top of the covers.

"I'm ill!" Yoohyeon protests, half-seriously.

"I don't care, I want you." Siyeon's arm tightens around her body. "I love you."

Yoohyeon's face turns uncomfortable.

"W-what? Did I say something wrong?" Siyeon sits up. "Are you okay?"

"I just...feel bad receiving your love when I'm not the one you like."

"Why do you keep saying that? You know it's you I love."

Yoohyeon fixes her with the same disbelieving expression. "Look at yourself. Just...take a look at yourself and your feelings. What do you feel towards me? What do you feel towards SuA?"

"Why are you doing this?" Siyeon asks, her eyebrows furrowing in distress.

"Just answer me honestly."

"I feel the same way about both of you. You both make me feel happy and...different. I miss both of you when you aren't here."

"Recently, I could say that you've started 'glowing' more. You're happier and it's not me that's doing it. It's SuA."

"You're wrong." Siyeon's temper starts to rise at Yoohyeon's stubbornness and her face straightens.

"We're friends, Siyeon. That's how we've grown up together, being friends. SuA is someone new that you're getting to know and I can see how you love being around her. It's different." She reiterates seriously. crossing her arms.

"Oh, shut it with that bullshit." Siyeon raises her voice in exasperation. "I like you."

"And I'm telling you that that's not true." Yoohyeon raises her voice too. "I'm your friend, no matter how much I may like you. If we're going to start arguing about this, then leave."

"I will then." Siyeon gets to her feet and glares down at her. "You--Urgh! Why the fuck are you always like this? You just can't admit your fucking feelings!" She gives up speaking and spins to storm out of the room. 

Right before she leaves, her arm spitefully swings out and knocks a vase off Yoohyeon's bookcase, letting it smash on the floor, shattering into thick chunks.

She turns back, as if to gauge Yoohyeon's reaction and catches the fear reflected in her eyes.


	14. Special Christmas Chapter

Quick note: This story is in no way related to the storyline of The Assassin, it's just a special Christmas Chapter I felt like creating and is loosely based off of 'Deja Vu'.

'Something's wrong with her. Something's wrong with Yoohyeon.'

Siyeon writes this in her journal and stops to muse, holding the quill in the air. "Hm." She dips the quill into ink and continues to write.

'She is my bestest of friends, my closest of loves. So why does she shy from me today? Of all days when we are meant to be merry, she clams up and glares at anyone and anything. It is Christmas Day today at the castle and JiU has arranged for a meal at noon. I must put my troubles aside and focus on having fun today.'

With a sigh, she sets the writing instrument down and rolls her neck, waiting for the ink to dry.

Someone knocks at the door. "Yes?" She enquires gently.

"It is I, Dami." They announce and a smile comes to her lips.

"Come in." She replies, not bothering to hide the notebook. Dami slips inside, wearing a baggy floral suit. "Ooh, fancy clothes."

"It's Christmas." She laughs. "I should say the same about you. Purple looks nice on you."

"Thanks." She stands and grins crookedly. "I hope you are not flirting?"

The woman bursts out in laughter. "I could not care less about you in that way! I know your own feelings belong elsewhere."

She lets out a breath of exasperation. "She is ignoring me today."

"Yoohyeon? Me as well." Dami takes her seat. "I think she's just in a small funk. It'll leave soon enough."

"We need to cheer her up for that, I think. A boring Christmas meal isn't exactly likely to make her happier."

"You make a valid point." The smile is quick to return, and she marches to the window, where it snows outside. "How about...I speak to Queen JiU about having some fun in the snow?"

She nods, excitement already coming to her. "Oh, that'll be brilliant!"

"I shall see her now. Be ready." Dami leaves the room, walking smoothly out.

***

"And now I give you our Royal Snowball Fight! If you are hit, you are out! Please be honest." JiU yells over the wind billowing across the gardens to the six other women and their various servants standing next to them.

Dami whoops, trying to lighten the mood. They all look cold in their various outer garments.

JiU smiles disarmingly. "Pick your two teams wisely! There are seven of us, so one team will have a slight advantage. You all, the servants, may join in as well, fighting for your mistresses!"

Dami turns to the group. "I'll be a team leader. Who wants to be the other?"

"I'm joining in too." JiU runs over to them, her cheeks pink. It is odd to see the Queen act as if she is a child again.

"I'll be the other leader." Siyeon volunteers herself, meeting eyes with Dami competitively.

They select their teams:

Dami - Yoohyeon, Gahyeon, Handong.

Siyeon - JiU, SuA.

The fight starts, with the teams on opposite sides of the garden, many waist-height hedges separating them.

"Make snowballs!" Dami orders immediately as the other team hide behind the hedges.

Her three team members drop to the ground with varying enthusiasm. Yoohyeon is slow, yawning as she compacts a clump of snow. Dami watches her silently, sharing Siyeon's concern.

A wild snowball is launched over their heads, paired with a fierce war cry from SuA. The sound is followed by a curse when she realises she missed.

Now, only a hedge separates the two, as SuA had banked on being able to sneak up on them.

"Got you now!" Dami shouts gleefully as she takes one of the premade snowballs and leaps over the hedge towards the fleeing woman. Her arm launches the ball, striking SuA square between her shoulder blades.

She falls to the ground with a yelp and immediately cries out in frustration. "I was so close to bloody hitting you! This is no fair!"

"You're out, SuA." Dami laughs and throws a wad of snow at her fallen form. "Get up."

As SuA does so, JiU and Siyeon launch a volley of snowballs at her and she is forced to retreat back to her side.

Without previously noticing her, Dami realises that Yoohyeon has managed to sneak up on the other team.

She makes a snowball, pressing a rock into the centre.

Dami watches her in curiosity. It isn't right for her to put the rock in.

She jumps to her feet and chucks the ball for the team, striking JiU as she glares down with gleaming eyes.

The woman cries out, putting a hand to her cheek as blood wells up.

**

"Let's eat." JiU smiles up and down the table at the girls from her seat at the centre, the cut looking bright-red against her pale cheek.

They eat in silence, passing awkward glances to each other, trying to gauge the situation.

"So," SuA starts with an apologetic cough. "How are we all today? It is Christmas after all."

"Sweaty." Gahyeon replies with blunt honesty, defusing her tone with a grin. "But as you say, it's Christmas. I should just focus on being happy and expressing my love for you all."

"Love you too." Handong tells her. "Love all of you." She amends quickly.

"I love you all." Gahyeon announces to the table. "Even the quieter people here." She says pointedly at Yoohyeon.

The girl in question stills. Her hands drop her cutlery with a clatter and she stands abruptly.

"Yoohyeon?" JiU questions in concern. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not feeling well." She says unhappily and marches out of the room.

JiU's smile becomes forced and she raises her glass. "Well, let's continue our banquet."

**

JiU sits at her throne, still wearing her black dress from the meal earlier. She muses absent—mindedly, always continuing back to the problem of Yoohyeon.

"I hope she's alright." She says softly under her breath.

At the other end of the long room, she hears the door open and close, only able to make out the silhouette of the person.

"Who is it?" She questions.

They walk into the light, head lowered as they take slow steps towards her, stopping at the steps up to her throne.

"Yoohyeon." JiU says.

She raises her head, swollen eyes staring wordlessly at her.

"What's wrong?"

From behind her poofy dress, Yoohyeon reveals a rapier (?) and levels it at JiU. "I'm taking over the throne."

JiU's eyes widen. "Where has this idea come from, Yoohyeon?" Her own hand snakes to the back of her throne, where she always has a sword hidden, knowing she might have to use it.

Dread rises like bile in her throat.

"I hate you." She says bitterly. "You've taken all my dreams." With that, she lunges at JiU, who leaps out of her throne.

The blade stabs the air beside her, and they clash with their swords, JiU battling for her life.

Being more skilled in combat, it doesn't take long for JiU to overpower her dearest friend, having a sword pointed at her throat as she kneels before her.

Tears prick at JiU's eyes as Yoohyeon looks up at her with begging eyes.

"I didn't mean it. I'm sorry." She whispers apologetically, dropping her head in shame. When she looks up again, fat tears fall down her cheeks.

"Oh, Yoohyeon..." JiU's sword wavers.

Her hand opens.

The sword falls to the ground, clattering loudly.

"I can't kill you." JiU said sadly. "I don't want to hurt my, my childhood friend."

She turns to walk away, heading towards the cleared dining table in a corridor off from the throne room.

Hurried breaths hit her ears. The sound of metal.

JiU turns as she reaches the table, just as Yoohyeon runs her through with the sword, exiting on the other side of her petite body with ease.

She chokes and falls backward from the force of the brutal attack, splaying across the table.

Death doesn't take long and Yoohyeon is soon left staring at a warm corpse.

**

Now ruler of the kingdom, Yoohyeon makes all the orders.

First, she imprisons the women who once were her friends.

She even banishes the more outspoken ones.

Yoohyeon becomes a tyrant, running a ruined kingdom into the ground.

**

SuA cries and struggles as two guards manhandle her out towards the main gates of the kingdom. "Yoohyeon!" She screams angrily into the air and the citizens at the market wince before turning away from the desperate scene.

"I hate you!" She continues to wail as the gates are opened slowly. When they finally are, they shove her outside and immediately start to close them again.

Realising that protestation is futile, SuA simply watches as the gates close, pouring venom into her gaze.

**

Siyeon sits in the corner of her room, now acting as a prison cell, feeling confused as if she hasn't quite realised what has happened.

The first thing she knew on the morning of Boxing Day, she was being told that JiU had been murdered.

The wake was that day.

Yoohyeon wasn't there.

The odd feeling flared in her gut as she realised that It must have had something to do with Yoohyeon.

Then Yoohyeon reappeared as Queen.

Imprisoning them all.

Guilt crushes her as she buries her head in her knees.

Dami watches her from the other side of the room. "Hey." She starts.

Siyeon looks up tearfully. "Why did she do it?"

She shrugs helplessly. "I can't answer that. But...I think we should be more concerned about what happens to us."

**

A Year Later.

**

"It's Christmas." Yoohyeon tells herself as she walks down the hallway to her throne. A laugh forces her shoulders to jolt. "Ha...Christmas."

She recalls the previous Christmas with a mixed expression, seeming to be a smile but also a frown.

Yoohyeon sits at the throne, enjoying the power it gives her. Her head looks to the left, seeing the dining table in the other room. The power is addictive and in a way...she's glad she killed her best friend to get to this position.

"You're disgusting." A voice tells her in distaste.

The woman freezes and covers her eyes quickly, but not quick enough to hide the person she sees.

"You're not real." She whimpers. "I killed you."

"Look at me." They demand in strong tones she's never heard from the woman.

Reluctantly, she lowers her hands and takes in the woman standing before her, looking as real as ever – skin bright with colour and eyes sparkling brown. She wears a pale pink gown covered in lace.

"Are you real, JiU?"

"That isn't important." Her mouth twitches, curling up in anger. "You hurt them all. Can you not see what you have done?" JiU yells at her, gesturing back to the rest of the castle. "You haven't just hurt your friends, you have shattered everyone who lives in this kingdom."

"...I don't care about them." She answers in the tone of a child who knows they've done wrong.

"I know you don't!" JiU scoffs. "You're an awful human being. I-I should never have let you live." Her body visibly trembles in anger.

**

Siyeon takes the flintstone from her draw and meets eyes with Dami.

"You weren't being serious?" Dami asks tiredly, the past year having taken a toll on them. Her eyes are dark in exhaustion.

They are still in the same room and today it snows.

"If the castle burns down, Yoohyeon has nothing to rule over."

"There are simpler ways of achieving what you want." Dami shakes her head. "I-I don't want to die."

"No." Siyeon refuses, gripping the flintstone tighter as she walks to the curtains with her journal also in hand. "Yoohyeon...cannot be allowed to continue like this."

"Siyeon..." Dami shies away from her unhappily.

It doesn't take long for one of the sparks she creates from the flint to ignite the delicate fabric. Gently blowing on the young flame, she encourages it to burn, also adding a ripped page of her journal to the flame.

She does this to all the curtains, Dami staying frozen in the centre of the room.

"You'd sacrifice yourself to stop Yoohyeon continuing her tyranny?"

Siyeon turns to her with a melancholy smile. "She was once my friend, but now...She's changed and not for good. I just, my moral compass tells me I can't allow that."

Dami coughs. "Damn you, Siyeon."

**

JiU levels the sword down at Yoohyeon, the weapon once again pointed towards her throat.

Their fight ended the same way with JiU winning over the unfit Yoohyeon.

Again, she weeps, trying to use her tears to influence her.

A manservant rushes into the room desperately. He stops in brief confusion. "Why are you on your knees, my Queen?"

"What is wrong, servant?"

"The castle's burning to bits!" He cries, hopping from one foot to the other in nervous energy. "What do we do?"

"Try and extinguish it." She answers simply, trying to ignore the sword at her throat. Can he not see JiU? "Where did it start?"

"In Miss Dami and Siyeon's room."

"What?" She cries, standing. JiU turns in shock as well.

"Y-yes."

Torn between her feelings for her old friends and their allegiance to JiU, Yoohyeon freezes there. "Well, g-go and rescue them!"

He leaves.

When she turns to JiU, she has lowered her sword. "I didn't want them to get hurt." She murmurs in distress.

Yoohyeon was witnessing her world falling apart.

"But it can't be helped." JiU says, more to herself than Yoohyeon as she stares outside at the falling snow. "It's the perfect punishment for you."

She turns to Yoohyeon. "You're a bad person."

Yoohyeon's expression twists and she tears the sword from JiU's grip to stab her with it, the blade passing through easily as if she isn't there.

JiU gives a cry and falls, disappearing into the air as she does, and the sword simply clatters to the ground as Yooheon stares blankly at it.

The smell of smoke reaches her nostrils and she knows the fire is close.

How did it spread so quickly?

Before her eyes, her kingdom Is falling. She looks outside, seeing buckets of water being passed along the human chain up the street towards the castle. But urgency is not shown in any of their actions...as if they want the castle to burn and the occupants to perish.

Her own people working against her.

Because of her ways.

Too late, she realises the deep-running consequences of her actions and sits back at her throne, enjoying the last feeling of power before the smoke envelopes her.


	15. Chapter 15

Rain peppers Siyeon in violent sprinkles as she sprints along the pavement, desperate to put distance between her and Yoohyeon.

Did Yoohyeon really know her better than she knew herself? No, she can't. She loves Yoohyeon, not SuA.

...But they both made her feel happy, safe, fuzzy. 

Was that love?

What is love?

Emitting a growl of frustration, Siyeon slows to walking pace. As she does, the angry clouds open and tip buckets of rain down, soaking her through.

The rain mingles with her vexed tears and she raises her head to the sky, wondering where she'd gone wrong in her decisions.

Through the incessant rain, neon lights of a bar call her attention and she wanders towards them, already planning to get blind-drunk.

"Rum and coke." She orders first, drumming her hands idly on the table as she constantly thought back to Yoohyeon and the fear that had flashed through her eyes when Siyeon smashed the vase.

Her drink arrives and she takes a slow sip of the ice-cold liquid.

It isn't easy to make herself, but she's determined to try and down the glass, quickly ordering several more, stronger drinks.

Siyeon finishes them one after the other with a gasp and a burn down her throat as she increasingly felt herself lose control.

Soon, she becomes aware that she's stood up, face to face with a man who is yelling at her. Spit flies from his mouth in his fury, but she doesn't back down.

"You should be the one to apologise, you fucking arsehole! You're the one who spilt my drink all over me. No, not just apologise, you have to pay for my drink!" Siyeon thrusts her hand out for money.

The man shoves her hand away and retaliates with an aggressive yell. "You will fucking kneel to me, you insolent woman, and apologise!"

"No I won't." Siyeon replies stubbornly and punches him in the face.

He stumbles back into the table, falling over with it and smashing all the glasses. The people at the table cry in anger as her gets to his feet, rubbing his knuckles.

One of the waiters finally steps in, filled with nervous energy that has him constantly shifting on his feet. "Er, we'd appreciate it if you didn't fight, or we'll have to call the police."

They both ignore his words, continuing to stare each other down, waiting for the other to apologise.

"Shut up, wimp." The man snaps with a sneer at the waiter before he swings a punch for Siyeon.

Even in her drunken state, she has enough coordination to block it and return with a sloppy punch to the jaw. He stands his ground, retorting by grabbing her collar and headbutting her.

She falls heavily to the floor with a cry, landing badly on her coccyx. "You bloody hoe!" She hisses and lunges for his legs to knock him to the floor.

They end up on the floor, exchanging repeating punches as Siyeon cries and curses in a desolate, raw voice until she's physically crying as she abuses him.

Out of the blue, she is yanked off of the man by powerful arms and she turns to look for the owner. "Dami?" She asks through split and bloody lips.

Dami's face is an image of extreme fury, her lips so pursed that they turn white. Her grip on Siyeon's elbow is tight and it hurts the girl.

"I'll pay for damages." She says tiredly, pulling out her wallet to hand several bills to the waiter. The man Siyeon fought starts to open his mouth, but her glare is enough to keep him quiet. "I'll pay you now for your damages. Take it or leave it." She then hands him several notes, which he sullenly accepts.

Dami then leads Siyeon outside and lets go of her arm.

Even as Siyeon faces Dami, disappointment is already clear in her eyes.

"I don't know exactly what you're feeling..." Dami sighs and takes her hand with a squeeze. "But that was extremely unacceptable behaviour."

By now, Siyeon has sobered up a little, enough to realise the gravity of her words and takes them with a silent nod.

"I can't have a serious talk with you right now because you're still intoxicated. I'll have a meeting with you tomorrow instead."

"What day is it today?"

"Today is Friday. Tomorrow is Saturday." Dami suppresses an outtake of breath. "10am sharp. I'll text you when in the morning as well."

"Yes, ma'am."

Her eyes hold Siyeon's for a moment, then looks away as a car parks near them. "I've arranged a car to take you home. Off you go."

"Thank you, ma'am." She replies meekly and stumbles towards it, barely able to open the door. When Siyeon does, she slumps inside, her body hurting all over.

"Seatbelt on, please." The driver tells her.

"Oh, it's you. JiU." Siyeon fumbles with the seatbelt, barely able to get it into the corresponding lock.

"Goodness me, your face!" JiU looks up at her through the front mirror.

"Is it bad?"

"Looks it." She replies and starts to drive off. "Dami literally dragged me along with her saying you were in a fight, so I have no idea what happened."

"That's just it. I honestly can't remember everything, but I think a guy spilled a drink over me and I got mad. Then we hit each other."

"Siyeon." JiU says disapprovingly. "You were lucky that Dami came. She was apparently alerted to social media posts of you arguing with someone and rushed off, dragging me along. It could have been so much worse if the police turned up."

"Mmm." She is longer in the mood to talk and leans her head on the window, the glass cool against her throbbing head.

***

JiU's parting words were 'Good luck for tomorrow' after she took Siyeon back to her flat and unlocked the door.

Siyeon is too exhausted to even formulate a reply and simply slams the door shut.

"Is that you, Siyeon?" SuA appears instantly from her room. At the sight of Siyeon, she gasps in shock,her eyes instantly watery. "What happened?"

"I got into a fight." Siyeon says shortly, not willing to talk to her.

SuA was part of the reason behind her churning feelings and love and that made her...dislike the girl a little for making her hurt so much.

"A fight? Oh, Siyeon--"

"I'm fine." Siyeon replies irritably and cuts her off as she strips off her wet jacket and throws it over a chair.

"You're not." SuA replies firmly and stands in her way, holding her wrist to keep her there.

"Get off me." She attempts to fight her grip, but SuA holds firm.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You're clearly hurt, so stop denying it. I'll clean your wounds for you."

Siyeon huffs, eventually giving in when SuA's concerned look makes guilt overcome her.

"Fine." She concedes and sits down at the table as SuA bustles around, putting the kettle on, fetching a first aid kit and dry clothing.

"Put these on." She says first. "Your clothes are damp."

"Do I have to?"

"Yes, you do. C'mon, or can you not take your top off yourself?" She starts forward as if to help.

"I don't need help." Siyeon hastily replies, but as she holds the bottom of her top and attempts to lift her arms, she finds it too painful to complete the action.

"You do." SuA smiles a little and pulls her top over her head, immediately throwing the wet one on the floor and slipping the clean one over her head. "Put your arms through."

"I don't need you dressing me." Siyeon grumbles irritably, but complies with her actions.

They do the same with her bottom half and soon Siyeon is dressed in a short-sleeved top and baggy pyjama bottoms.

The kettle boils and SuA pours the water into a bowl, adding a little salt to make a basic antiseptic.

SuA pulls up a chair opposite and studies her face with a serious expression.

"What?"

"I'm just seeing how bad your injuries are." She gets up again and fills a glass with water. "Here, drink this all. Alcohol dehydrates you."

"Okay."

SuA starts at the head, dotting small amounts of arnica cream on her bruises. "This will probably make your bruises look worse, but it's a herbal medicine to relieve the pain."

Siyeon listens to her speak, staying quiet as she watches the girl squeeze the cream onto her finger and then put it on her face. Their faces ware only inches away, but Siyeon keeps her pulsing heart calm.

As SuA reaches her cheek, she winces. "Was the guy wearing rings? That's a nasty cut."

"I didn't inspect his fist for bling when he hit me." She replies acidly, the bravado lost as she winces with a small cry when SuA dabs at it with water-soaked cotton wool before then taping medi-strips over the long cut.

After about ten more minutes and several plasters, SuA finishes cleaning Siyeon's wounds.

"...Thanks." Siyeon admits with reluctance.

"That's alright. Just go to sleep now and I'll make breakfast tomorrow."

"Okay." Siyeon stands sluggishly. "I've got a meeting with Dami sometime tomorrow, so I'll be waking earlier.

"Gotcha." She follows her to her doorway. "Sleep well." She smiles with a sad yet unreadable expression as the door closes.


	16. Chapter 16

"Good morning, Siyeon." Dami greets, opening her office door and inviting the ashamed girl in.

They both sit and Dami clasps her hands together.

"Now, let's talk about the incident yesterday. Can you tell me how the events played out? Just what you know, I'm fully aware you were heavily intoxicated."

"I can't remember everything." Siyeon admits. Even though it was a new day, she was unable to recall anymore details.

"Just what you remember then."

"I went to a bar with, well, the intention of getting drunk. I had several drinks and then the next thing I remember is that I'm arguing with a man who appears to have spilled my drink on me. I was demanding compensation and he wanted me to apologise for insulting him. Then we fought."

"Who attacked first?"

"He did."

"Right." Dami marks some notes down on a form. "Did you ever consider not fighting him?"

"No. I think I wanted to attack him."

"Why?"

"I was in a bad mood."

"It takes more than a bad mood to make someone feel like beating someone else up, hm?"

"I've just...had a difficult few days." Siyeon was reluctant to explain. "I've been feeling really stressed." She avoids saying it was 'love' that was twisting her mind, the excuse not feeling reasonable.

"Okay." She accepts. "But I still feel that's not enough reason. Now, I'm not demanding you tell me what's going on. But...I advise you not to keep it bottled up. You can talk to me or a member of the Mental Welfare team here when you feel ready."

"Thank you." Siyeon accepts with a blase face. "I'll consider it."

Dami frowns, but moves on. "A suitable punishment has been discussed between myself and Mr Yong. You'll be cleaning all the toilets in the building for a few weeks. A disgusting job, might I add. It will take up a lot of your time as well. Hopefully, such a punishment will deter you from behaving badly again."

"It won't happen again." Siyeon promises earnestly, glad that she isn't being delayed into becoming a Senior assassin.

"I hope not." Dami's eyes narrow and she takes a newspaper from her desk to show Siyeon.

"CEO of Y Electronics found murdered at home."

A picture of Minhyuk was below the bold title.

Oh no.

"Oh, dear." She commented blandly, her brain panicking.

"That's the man who killed SuA's family."

"Yeah, I thought so. She must be sort of relieved that he's dead."

"If she didn't do it herself."

Siyeon's eyes widen and her body heats up as she falls under Dami's suspicious gaze. "When could she have done that?"

"On her holiday, obviously." Dami smiles slyly. "The way you're asking these dumb questions makes me think that you're involved."

"Of course not!"

"Your extreme denial makes me even more sure." Her smile stays put. "I've considered punishing both of you. But you're good students, I think I can hang off the punishments. And I can understand why."

"Thank you, Miss Dami."

"And there you are, admitting you were involved. You're too easy to trick, Siyeon."

"Oh."

"You're lucky I'm not suspending you completely from training SuA and missions. If you do misbehave again, I will not be so lenient. Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Good, you're free to go."

***

SuA looks up from firing the rifle at moving targets when Siyeon enters the room. "Was the meeting about last night?"

"Yeah." Siyeon admits as her headache comes back in full bloom. She had kept all the pain under wraps while meeting with Dami, but as soon as she left the room...she almost collapsed as the pain overwhelmed her.

"You're pretty pale."

"I'm feeling a little hungover." She replies and sits down to watch SuA. "Remember--"

"It's my test today. I know."SuA rolls her eyes and stands up straight. "When are we starting?"

"When you're ready."

"That's now."

"Okay, I'll go and set the program up." Siyeon disappears into the backroom where she uses the computer to select the test course for Trainee assassins, rigging it to start in one minute. She leaves the room slowly. "It starts in a minute. Be ready."

Siyeon sits on the chair to watch SuA, already feeling sleepy as a yawn works its way out of her gaping mouth. Telling herself to stay awake, she shakes her head around and pinches herself.

The punishment SuA had given her wasn't too bad. Well, it was going to take a while to complete, but...it was going to be okay.

Siyeon had made a mistake, allowing her anger to get the better of her. Now she's paying the consequences with her hangover and punishment.

By the time she returns to the present, the test has already started and the room is alive with the echoes of the rifle firing.

"Oh no." Siyeon breathes, realising her mistake, quickly starting to pay attention. Though she tries, each bang of the gun rocks her mind and she finds herself unable to tell whether SuA had hit the targets correctly.

After what feels like an age, SuA finishes and turns to beam proudly at Siyeon.

"Well done." She compliments quickly, feeling sick when she knows that she's messed up again. Siyeon then rushes into the back room again to recall the targets but when she peers through the screen at where SuA had hit, she is unable to accurately see the marks as her vision swims hazily.

Choosing to go with her gut feeling, Siyeon marks SuA's points down and sends her score off to the Head of Trainee Assassins. It was a little low, but she remembers that SuA had trouble in the past on firing accurately.

It doesn't take long for a reply to be sent by the Head.

'Please send SuA to me in Room N25 so we can have a chat.'

"The Head of Trainees wants to see you." Siyeon relays the message and SuA heads off with a bemused expression.

The chair looks extremely inviting, so she slumps into the chair, promptly falling asleep as her eyelids struggle to stay open.


	17. Chapter 17

"Once again, you are in my office." Dami smiles without amusement at the girl before her. "For something you've done wrong."

Siyeon hangs her heavy head, still spinning.

When she woke up, SuA was angrily yelling at her and Mr Yong was also there to tell her to have a meeting with Dami. She had been...confused but expecting. She had made mistakes and now she was paying for it. Not once had Siyeon seen SuA so angry, even when they were having their frequent arguments back when they didn't get on so well.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you know what you've done wrong?"

"I messed up SuA's test score."

"Very badly, might I add. You marked SuA with thirty-four out of one hundred."

"Yes. I just...couldn't see where she'd hit. My eyes kept blurring and so I just relied on my gut."

"A very bad decision." Dami remarks coldly. "You have misbehaved again, so you will be punished."

Siyeon sits silently, waiting for what she would say. There was a part of her that felt it was partially unfair to give her punishment when she was still hungover.

"I shall temporarily ban you from training SuA for two weeks. Someone else will be training her instead."

Siyeon's head looks up at her sadly, her mouth parts.

Dami takes her look with gravity and also seems a little saddened, or perhaps disappointed. "Siyeon...What's gone wrong?"

"Nothing." She denies.

"Really?"

"Nothing." She repeats a little more strongly and stands.

"Two acts of misbehaviour within two days? Siyeon, you've never been like this before." Her eyes look inquisitively into hers, but Siyeon defers her gaze in silent defiance. 

The stillness in the room stretches as she refuses to reply.

"Alright. If that's what you want." She looks up at her. "You are also banned from drinking and will have to spend required hours training to prove that you are still fit to be a Junior Assassin. I'll send an email explaining everything later. Don't worry." Dami pauses, looking down before meeting her gaze again. "I hope you feel better soon."

***

"Siyeon,

You are required to spend a minimum of three hours a day training for two weeks - In the self-defence studios, doing cardio or weapons training. You are required to log in to whichever room you're in so we can know where you are.

You are also still required to complete the three weeks toilet cleaning. Meet the cleaning team at eight in the evening for every day this week. They will assign you your tasks and equipment.

Hope you feel better soon,

Lee Dami

Head of Kim and Lee"

***

Siyeon returns home by bus, her eyes staring dully into the seat in front of her as she rocks with the natural rhythm of the bus as it moves.

She feels empty, destroyed by the mistakes she'd made. The drunken fight, messing with SuA's results, even her anger at Yoohyeon that now feels completely over the top and unacceptable.

It makes her feel ashamed of herself to have failed Dami, even more so, SuA.

The guilt that manifests itself on her sucks all the happiness out, only leaving her with dread for the coming weeks.

Would she ever gain SuA's trust back again? Would she ever gain Dami's trust back?

Before long, it's her stop and she steps off with wobbly legs.

Everything hurts. There's not a part of her that doesn't feel some sort of pain as she plods up the stairs to her flat. Once Siyeon lets herself in and slams the door, she falls to her knees and curls up as she starts to weep loudly.

Her distress stays with her as she continues to whimper and cry on the entrance mat. If anything, it gets worse as she starts to give up.

"I should just quit." She snivels to herself as she raises her head and wipes her tears. "I should just stop this all. I'm useless at it all!" Her cries renew and she stumbles to the kitchen, sitting on the chair. "I'm an awful person!"

It takes a long time for her tears to recede, but when they do, Siyeon shakily takes a cigarette from a crushed box in her pocket. She sticks it between her lips and finds her lighter, a fancy metal antique made of metal. She flips the lid up and the flame jumps into existence.

Siyeon lights her cigarette and takes a soulless puff. That cigarette soon disappears and she lights another, letting the stub of the first drop to the floor.

All cares have left her as she smokes one after the other, the room becoming thick with cancerous smoke.

It feels good to sin in the way she does, living life as if there isn't a tomorrow, but her saddened expression never changes.

Time passes as she smokes, the action no longer enjoyable but necessary to distract herself.

Apart from smelling the smoke, she can smell heat, beginning to realise that something is on fire.

Her eyes turn and find the carpet where a fire starts to take hold.

"Oh no." She mumbles, getting to her feet sluggishly as the familiar smell sears through her nostrils.

\---

I wake to smoke filling my nostrils and choke as my eyes open.

My bedroom is dark so I turn my bedside lamp on, seeing the smoke clinging in the air close to the ceiling.

Our fire alarm piercing ring screams through my door and I scramble desperately out of bed and out of the room.

"Mum! Dad!" I call outside of my room, needing their security and reassurance. There is no reply and the smoke is thicker here. My lungs clench and I cough for breath as the smoke enters my lungs.

My parents' beds aren't slept in, still neatly made. So they must be downstairs.

But...that's where the thicker smoke is.

Forcing myself to be brave, I run downstairs and turn into the open kitchen.

I see Mum first, her arms bound behind her back and her legs similarly tied. Even as I continue to stare, I can see the bloody hole in her forehead. But I can't get any further because the flames have already taken hold of that side of the kitchen and her body is burning right in front of me.

My eyes sting from tears and thick smoke and I realise I can do nothing for my mother.

Dad. I need to find Dad. He'll know what to do.

I open the study door, seeing my dad facing the windows. A black-clad woman stands behind him, pointing a gun at his head. She fires it and he slumps forward onto the floor.

"Dad!"

The woman turns and sees me, showing no surprise. Instead, she smiles and walks towards me. Continually calm, as if there isn't a fire raging outside of the room.

When she's opposite, she crouches to look me in the eyes.

"How old are you?" The woman asks kindly. Her words are as delicate as her slim, muscular body and her face is ivory pale. Foreign eyes stare down at her.

"What did you do to Mum and Dad?" My thirteen year-old self is afraid to ask.

"You're thirteen, aren't you?" She turns and opens the balcony door wide. As she does, siren sounds increase in volume, getting closer.

"Who are you?" I ask desperately.

"I'm a paid killer." She says simply, the easy smile still on her face. "I've killed your parents for money. They were too dangerous to my employer." She stands on the railing and sways with the wind.

"Wait! I rush forward, but she tips backward over the balcony and out of sight.

My feet collide with a solid mass and I scream upon realising it's Dad.

The bullet hole has passed through his forehead, but the back of his head is completely obliterated into glistening pieces and I struggle with the urge to vomit as I rush from the room.

But I cannot go back into the kitchen for it is burning fiercely and the heat is enough to turn me away to the back garden door.

I open it and run through into the garden, gasping for breath as I bend over and clutch my knees.

When I look up, I see a woman in the garden. She isn't the same woman as the one who murdered Dad, but I can't be too careful.

Holding a hand to my mouth, I crouch and sneak towards the back gate, my eyes on the woman the whole time.

It is then that she turns and catches me moving to hide behind a plant pot and when I know she's seen me, I sprint for the gate and fight with the rusty lock to open it.

"I'm not here to hurt you." She says quickly and walks over, holding her hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Really. I'm not." Her gaze embodies her serious tone.

I stop my pointless fight and face her. "Who are you?"

"I worked with your parents at their job."

She knows my parents?

"Can I trust you?" Even if she says 'yes', I'm not yet willing to.

"I'm not asking you to, but know that I will not try and hurt you. I want to protect you from your parents' killers."

"It was a woman." I tell her.

"I'm aware. I know exactly who it was." She pauses a moment, finally deciding to reveal what she knows. "A young woman called Handong."

I finally study her appearance in the semi-darkness, noting her dark brown shoulder-length hair and the form-fitting dark clothes that she wears. Over the top of a black shirt, she wears a leather jacket and I find myself able to believe she would protect me with her life.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Dami."


	18. Chapter 18

Her name was Handong.

That was a new fact her memory had brought to her conscious mind.

Pain begins to find her unconscious mind, searing shards of pain that push through her body and force her awake when she can't stand the pain any longer.

Siyeon wakes with bleary eyes and she takes in the view of the ceiling that tells her she's in a hospital.

"You're awake." Dami says from her bedside and stands to look down at her.

Siyeon looks down at herself silently, observing the thick, white bandages wrapping around sections of her body. Wherever the bandages were, the skin below stung. "What happened?"

"You were found unconscious in the flat by a neighbour. Apparently the fire started in the carpet and you were slumped at the table. You were lucky they were brave enough to get through the flames to you. You've got a lot of burns, but they're relatively minor, in that they're healing well. The doctor is most concerned about smoke inhalation."

"Oh." Is all she can say, knowing exactly why the fire started. "...Well, thanks to the neighbour."

"You started the fire, didn't you?" Dami questions as she sits again, her eyes staring through Siyeon so hard that she can't make herself lie.

"I didn't mean to. I could have put it out, but I had a...relapse."

"To the fire?" Her eyebrows furrow in concern.

"Yeah. There was something I saw that I've never remembered before. What the killer looked like and her name."

"You never remembered before?"

Siyeon shakes her head. "No. Her name was Handong, wasn't it?"

"That's right." She replies cautiously.

"Do you know where she is?"

"Not at all." She replies instantly with a shrug.

Her eyes narrow, but she can't keep up the gaze as pain attacks her again and she winces.

"I want you to take some time off." Dami changes topic gently.

"Off training SuA?"

"Off anything to do with the company. Focus on getting better and then attending school."

"What about after I heal?" She demands, knowing the answer already through Dami's eyes.

"I still want you to take time off. If this is your first ever relapse and it had this serious a consequence...it's not good. Let your mental health heal."

Siyeon pouts as tears threaten to fall and she hangs her head. "Fine." She knows it's hopeless to argue and accepts without fighting.

***

It is school as usual when her burns have healed much more and she is discharged from hospital. They still regularly itch and she struggles with the desire to scratch them raw.

When Siyeon turns up in class, early, Yoohyeon's head flies around to see her, eyes full of teary worry. She stands and hugs her tightly. "I heard about the fire." She mumbles into her shoulder as if their argument hasn't changed anything. "How are you?"

"The burns still hurt a little." Siyeon pulls back and looks at her. "Can, can we talk at break?"

"Of course." She accepts graciously.

***

"I owe an apology." Siyeon starts once they are both comfortable on the roof. She hasn't brought any cigarettes to school, planning to break the habit, the desire brought on by the fire.

"For our argument?"

"Yeah. I'm really sorry I got angry at you. There wasn't any need for it...because I was denying myself and my feelings. I still need time to think it out, but...I think you're right. And, I'm sorry for smashing the vase."

"That's fine." Yoohyeon smiles awkwardly. "I understand completely why you went off like that. It's okay. You did me a favour, smashing that ugly vase. It was a gift from Mum I wasn't allowed to get rid of, but you smashing it gave me an excuse." She laughs and that breaks the tension.

"Oh, really?" Siyeon laughs too, but the smile quickly disappears.

"What's wrong?" Yoohyeon immediately notices and puts a hand on Siyeon's knee.

"I just...well, that fire was only caused because I had a relapse to a traumatic childhood memory and passed out."

"Oh my god!" She embraces her without hesitation. "Do you want to talk about it? I'm not forcing you, but perhaps it will make you feel better."

"I'll talk about it." Siyeon huffs out a tight breath as the urge to cry overwhelms her again. A few tears and sobs snake their way out of her as Yoohyeon continues to hold her. "When I was thirteen, my parents were murdered and the house was set on fire."

"Murdered?" She starts in shock.

Siyeon understands her surprise, because she's never told the story to anyone before, but she doesn't know why she never did. But when she thinks about it, Siyeon knows it was because she never wanted to remember it again and bury it beneath it the surface where it could only linger. The recent fire only allowed it a pathway to resurface and attack her.

"They were killed by an assassin. I saw my Dad being shot. Mum was already dead."

"And they didn't kill you?"

Siyeon shakes her head. "She just...talked to me then ran away." Her mouth struggles with talking about the next part, knowing how ridiculous it would sound.

And she would be breaking Dami's number one rule - Never tell anyone you're an assassin.

"I went into the garden and someone was there. She said she worked with my parents and would protect me."

"Right."

"And now I do what my parents did when they were alive."

"You said before that they were accountants."

"That was a lie I had also been made to believe. They were actually, er, well...assassins."

"...Assassins." She repeats without strong emotion, as if tasting the word.

"I'm an assassin!" She fires out and puts her head in her hands, nervously chewing her lips as she tortures herself with what Yoohyeon could say.

"You are?" Frustratingly, she can't tell what she's thinking.

"I am. I kill people for money. Just like the person who killed my parents."

Yoohyeon continues to embrace her. "Were you forced into it?"

"No. I wanted to do it because...I think because my parents did it. I wanted to proudly carry on in their shoes. And I guess...it's a little fun." She realises how psychopathic it sounds and quickly tries to correct herself. "Er, I mean, but because it's helped me become physically fit and mentally fit in the way I have to plan missions, etcetera."

Yoohyeon pulls out of the embrace and stares at her. "I can understand that. I guess I always wondered where those rock-hard abs came from." Her smile returns.

Siyeon chuckles and rubs her sweating neck.

"Do you feel better after talking about it?" She broaches gently.

"Kinda. I guess it's made me realise that I can't suppress the memory of the fire. I can only accept that that part of my life exists and that it's shaped me to be who I am. It'll still be hard to think about it though."

"Of course. The pain will probably never leave." Yoohyeon seems wise beyond years and Siyeon understands that the reason is having to take on the role of taking care of herself, living with a mum that was self-absorbed and unable to care for her daughter.


	19. Chapter 19

Siyeon lies by herself on the camp bed in the spare room. JiU and Gahyeon's spare room, that is.

While their flat was being repaired, SuA and Siyeon have temporarily moved into the girls' house.

She is lying on her back, the blistered, but healing skin on it too painful to be lain on. On the floor next to the camp bed, her laptop plays a drama as she watches with disinterest.

The pain of her back and various burns are numbed by the medication, but she still feels uncomfortable.

For one, she suddenly notices the presence of someone else in the doorway.

"Who is it?" Siyeon asks without looking and pauses the drama by reaching down an arm to the laptop.

"SuA." She introduces herself with a hint of shyness. "How are you feeling?"

"The medication is still working, so I can't feel much."

"Ah. May I come in?"

"Sure." She answers neutrally, remembering that their last conversation was an argument.

SuA sits in the chair behind her laptop and looks down at her with an unreadable expression.

"What do you want to talk about then?" Siyeon starts lightly, watching SuA with an equally unreadable expression.

"I want to apologise for getting mad at you. When you were hungover."

"It was my fault." Siyeon mumbles. "I shouldn't haven't been training you if I wasn't feeling that well."

"But I still got mad at you because I wanted someone to blame, really. The constant training has just been so tiring and I guess I just..."

"Vented your frustrations on me?" Siyeon looks up at her, a small smile playing on her lips. "I understand, just forget about it."

She breathes a sigh of relief, visibly glad at getting it off her chest.

"I want to confide a secret with you." Siyeon then says, propping herself up on her elbows. "It's something that I've carried with me since I was thirteen and it was the reason I wasn't able to escape the fire."

SuA stays silent, watching with softening eyes.

She starts to talk about the family fire, the same story she told Yoohyeon and what happened. SuA's eyes seem to tear at her words and she sniffs a little.

"You need a tissue?" Siyeon grins weakly.

"No, I'm fine." She shakes her head. "I just can't believe you've had to experience such a terrible thing. I'm...I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. I just wanted to tell you, and bring us closer. And this fire has enabled me to feel different. My chest feels lighter now. Before, I suppressed all the emotions I felt during the fire, and now I can manage them much easier without, panicking, I suppose."

"That's a great achievement for you then." She wipes her eyes. "Perhaps you've found your way of controlling the memory."

"Maybe." Siyeon shrugs casually, wincing as the movement causes pain through her back. "Well, now you know."

"Now I know. Thank you for being able to tell me. I'm sure it must have taken some confidence."

"That's fine." She grins. "Wanna watch this drama with me? You can lie on the floor next to my bed."

SuA mirrors her smile. "Sure. What's the drama about?"

"Seven friends. One of them dreams about their deaths and, you know, does her best to stop them happening."

"Ooh, interesting." She lies on the floor next to Siyeon's camp bed as she moves the laptop to the front of her camp bed.

They continue to watch the drama in silence.

After a while, SuA speaks. "I can't help but feel sorry for the girl."

"Me too." Siyeon agrees in a whisper as the episode comes to an end and previews the next one. The faint smile disappears from her face and she looks down at the top of SuA's head. "I just want to apologise again to you."

SuA turns to look back up at Siyeon. "It's fine." She reassures with an easy grin and reaches up to take her open hand to squeeze it gently.

Her face flushes with colour as she feels her delicate touch and hesitates to clutch it back with her bandaged fingers. "Thank you." She says, feeling genuinely happier as the guilt leaves her in a rush.

***

Within a month, SuA and Siyeon are able to move back into the flat.

As Siyeon steps across the front door step, the smell of fresh paint is strong. She sniffs distastefully but accepts it as she walks to her bedroom door and opens it. The room is bare of everything but a bed.

"Good enough." She shrugs and jumps a little as SuA comes up behind her. "Jeez, woman."

"What?" SuA laughs and hugs her from behind. "I just wanted to see why you were looking into an obviously unfurnished room."

Siyeon falls back into her embrace with a sly grin and SuA stumbles back under her sudden weight.

"Careful!" She warns as she manages to keep on holding her around the waist. The simple locking her arms around Siyeon's waist is comforting.

"If you're hugging me like this..." Siyeon trails off suggestively as SuA's arms fall and they face each other.

"What...?" A faint flush comes to her face and her pupils quiver suspiciously.

"Do you like me?" Siyeon decides to be brash and stares at SuA's face, too nervous to look directly into her eyes.

"Erm," SuA's voice breaks and she looks off to the side, appearing to gather herself together.

Taking the forward approach was a little bold, but sometimes you just needed to ask for what you wanted.

"That was sudden." She chuckles nervously and watches her face. "Are you drunk?"

"We've become great friends throughout this journey," Siyeon grins.

"Just friends?" SuA manages a flirtous quip and joking grazes her shoulder with her fist.

"Well...no, that's not what I'm trying to say." She walks past her to the new table and chairs, sitting at one of them, facing SuA. It feels more comfortable to talk about herself this way. "I think I like you." Her tone deepens as she says the words, becoming more confident in phrasing.

"Aw, don't." SuA whines as she watches her. "I can't take you seriously when you say it like that, in that sexy tone of yours."

"I can't take you seriously either when you tell me my voice is sexy!" Siyeon protests and can't help feeling embarrassed. She puts her head in her hands with a groan. "This isn't what I wanted a love confession to end like..."

SuA holds her hands to the girl's cheeks and looks her in the eyes. "So, what if I tell you I like you too?"

A beam splits her lips. "Then that's wonderful." Her eyes narrow. "You're not joking with me, are you?"

She finally shakes her head earnestly and leans in closer over the table as she holds her cheeks. "I've wanted to tell you I like you for so long and you take the opportunity to say it first?"

"You win some, you lose some." Siyeon manages a casual shrug, even as her heart runs a marathon. "Will you--"

"Hold it, you've already stolen the love confession, I'll take the next part." She clears her throat and sits opposite. "Will you date me, Siyeon?"

"With pleasure." The smile returns and she holds both of SuA's petite hands in her own as her mouth aches with the effort of looking happy. It has been so long since she was genuinely this happy.


	20. Chapter 20

"And I am happy to present the following certificate to you, which celebrates your achievement of Rookie assassin. Congratulations." Dami hands the certificate over to SuA carefully as the heads of Trainees, Rookies, Juniors and Seniors stand by, watching with firm smiles.

Siyeon is also in the room, stood next to the head of Seniors. She is dressed smartly in her official assassin's outfit of combat boots, black baggy trousers and a t-shirt with two red crossing lines across the back.

The people in the room all applaud with fixed grins at the proud young woman.

Dami turns to Siyeon, calling her from the line to stand in front of her. "I am also happy to present this certificate to you," She takes it from her desk. "Which celebrates your achievement of Senior assassin. Congratulations." Everyone claps again and Siyeon beams with pride at Dami.

"Thank you, Miss Dami." They say together as the short ceremony ends.

"Quite alright. You're free to leave now."

The girls turn to leave, first having brief conversations with the heads of department.

Once out of the room, they meet eyes with fond looks and link hands.

"Well done, you." SuA smiles happily at her, looking pleased with both herself and Siyeon.

"You too." Siyeon squeezes her hand and pecks her cheek gently.

"Not here." SuA giggles and starts to hop down the corridor in joy. "Let's go on a date tonight and do shit there!"

"I will." Siyeon accepts. "But I've got to walk Yoohyeon home first this evening from her singing club."

"Where's the club?"

Siyeon describes where it is, expressing her curiosity as to why she is interested.

"I was just wondering because I was thinking of going and trying it out." She replies nonchalantly.

"You can sing and dance?"

"Of course. I'm not a two-trick pony. I can sing, dance and I look great."

Siyeon snorts derisively. "Of course you'd say that."

"Well, I'll go first." SuA waves as she lets go of her hand and starts to walk off. "I'll see you back at the flat soon and we can plan our date."

***

Unusually for Siyeon, she walks Yoohyeon home after school. She found that because she no longer had to train SuA, she had much more time to herself. Though she wants to be with SuA, she couldn't mindlessly abandon her bestest friend for love.

"How're you and SuA then?" Yoohyeon starts curiously.

"Getting on." She replies non-committedly. "It hasn't been long since we started it officially."

"It'll only get better from here." She smiles and swings the hand she holds with Siyeon.

"If you're sure!" Siyeon mirrors her joyous expression and twirls around as if she were a dancer. As she spins, she sees a tall man several yards behind. He quickly disappears into an alley naturally once she notices him.

Siyeon frowns at the distrustful way he moves but forces herself to dismiss it. Not everyone is a suspicious person and she continues to twirl with a belt of forced laughter as Yoohyeon grins at her.

They continue home, chatting about gossip at school.

Outside of Yoohyeon's house, Siyeon feels the itching sensation on her neck that someone was watching her.

Again, she turns, this time in irritation, but doesn't see anything.

***

It's the weekend and once more, Siyeon arranges to meet up with Yoohyeon. This time, it's to study at the library. They have a big Biology test coming up and Siyeon wants to pass it to continue to prove herself to Dami.

She waits on the corner up the road from Yoohyeon's house, having already texted her that she was waiting.

Five minutes later, she finally receives a reply - 'Just leaving now xx'

As a pleased expression comes onto her face, she walks back onto Yoohyeon's street, spying Yoohyeon closing her front door.

She watches her walk onto the street. As soon as the slim girl starts to walk towards her, a van door opens close to Yoohyeon, blocking Siyeon's view of her. The back van door also rattles open and she sees a glimpse of people stepping out.

So it surprises her when she hears a muffled scream, sounding much like Yoohyeon.

As a thump of fear runs through her stomach, Siyeon dashes forward so she's able to see around the door and witnesses Yoohyeon being bundled into the van by three men, struggling all the way. The back door closes, leaving the driver on the pavement.

"Yoohyeon!" She yells urgently and sprints towards the lone man.

He sees her coming and leaps into the van, closing the door. When she gets close, reaching her hand out to the door handle, he shoves open the door again, straight into her face.

Siyeon slips back onto the pavement. Her nose exploding in pain as the van maneuvres away with screeching tyres. Without a car herself, she jumps to her feet and sprints briefly after the escaping van, but it's no use. It is impossible for her to catch up.

She calls Dami, not knowing what else to do in the dire situation.

"Yoohyeon's been kidnapped!" She yells immediately when the phone is picked up, her tone nasal as blood leaks out of her nose in great floods.

"Your friend?" Dami questions in bemusement. "Kidnapped?"

"Yes, kidnapped!" She sucks in great breaths to control her breathing. "Literally just now."

"Can you give a brief description of the vehicle and perpetrators?"

"White, unmarked van. I didn't see the number plate. The men I saw all wore balaclavas and hoodies." She tenderly probes her nose. "One of them may have broken my nose."

"Okay, I've noted all of that. Now you've told me, could you call the police and tell them what you told me, then come and see me. I promise to do everything in my power to get her back."


	21. Chapter 21

Once she returns from the police, Siyeon heads into Dami's office, struggling to stay calm.

"Any news?" She asks desperately, not bothering to sit.

Dami stands, leaving the official setting behind as she hugs gently Siyeon in an attempt to comfort. "We haven't got much yet, unfortunately. We saw the van on CCTV near Yoohyeon's house, but it appears to have been abandoned since."

"So you have no idea where she is?" Siyeon holds herself together, keeping hope that Yoohyeon is safe. "Why did they kidnap her? Who even are they?" She pauses miserably. "I suppose you don't know anything."

"We'll answer those questions when we can." She continues to embrace Siyeon. "What did the police say?"

"That they'll try their best with what they have and so on." She buries her head in Dami's shoulder. "I don't want them to hurt her." She whimpers vulnerably.

"Everything will be okay, I promise you. We'll get her back safe." Dami says in a confident tone that comforts her a little.

"...Thank you, Dami." She says into her shoulder slowly, taking all her effort not to cry.

"This is a delicate situation, so we can all understand if you can't attend training. Take time off if you need to."

"I might do that." She says, straightening and looking at her with glistening eyes.

"But I want to say to you," Dami stares into her eyes seriously. "Please don't try and look for Yoohyeon yourself, independently of the company. Can you promise?"

"Yes." She says, knowing it could make things worse if she tried to help. "I promise."

***

Instead, she chose to use her time off in a different, useful way, deciding to look more into her parents' deaths.

Talking openly about it had made her consider learning more about the incident that changed her life forever.

Siyeon has never looked into her parents' deaths before, because she tried to forget it, forget the violence and focus on herself and the present. It made her feel guilty to have repressed the memory, because she should have tried to find out who murdered her parents.

Yet she also tells herself in a strong internal voice that she would have had no idea of how to find the killer and tries not to blame herself.

The first thing she decides to do is find the police report on the incident. Knowing most reports are digitalised, she heads online on her laptop, alone in the flat.

It's easy to search for them, but quickly finds she'll have to pay and wait to view the report. Siyeon enters a debate with herself, wondering whether visiting the police station would be easier than ordering, but she soon decides to order it.

A few days later, (worryingly, with no news about Yoohyeon), the white envelope arrives.

It sits on her doormat innocently, the stark white colour contrasting from the dirty brown of the doormat. Siyeon stands over it, looking down at for several seconds before she slowly reaches a hand for it and takes it in hand.

Something she's been waiting years to read.

Her feet take her back to the kitchen table and she sits heavily, still staring blankly at the envelope. Siyeon doesn't want to open it just yet, still half-disbelieving that this paper was the answer to the repressed memories of five years ago.

Siyeon opens the envelope and slips out the sheets of paper inside.

The top paragraph displays information unimportant to her.

"Timeline of events:

Mrs Lee, 47, is attacked in the kitchen, knocked out by a blow to the back of her head. She is then tied with cord taken from the family's shed.

The perpetrator then covered the kitchen in petrol (Unclear whether they brought the petrol or it belonged to the family).

The kitchen is then set on fire, the only place to be covered with petrol.

Mr Lee, 49, is then attacked, but not knocked unconscious. He is likely held against his will with a weapon.

Mrs Lee is shot in the kitchen.

Mr Lee is shot in the study.

The perpetrator likely then escapes via the balcony as the front entrance was likely on fire.

It is unknown where Miss Lee, 13, is in this whole timeline.

The first floor was mostly untouched by the flames and we could see that the daughter's bed was disturbed.

She may have been kidnapped by the perpetrator or killed at another location.

As of a three year update on the case, there is no more information on Miss Lee, so we must unfortunately assume that she is deceased."

She sets down the papers, tears pricking at her eyes as she sits there blinking rapidly. There everything is, laid out before her.

Clearing her throat, Siyeon shoves the papers back into the envelope, keen to no longer continue thinking about it.

"I'm home!" SuA announces cheerfully as the front door slams shut. She peeks into the kitchen and sees Siyeon staring into space. "You alright, babe?"

Siyeon snaps out of her empty daze and smiles wanly at her. "You're back."

"Uh-huh." SuA kicks her shoes off and walks to her, cuddling her as she continues to sit. Accepting this comfort, Siyeon leans into her. "What's wrong with you?" Her eyes spy the envelope.

"I just read the police report on my parents' deaths." She replies and looks up at her face.

"Oh, Siyeon...Why would you torture yourself like that?" SuA asks remorsefully and leans down to press foreheads with her as their breaths mingle.

"I..." Siyeon starts to speak, but draws off, knowing that she's right. "I just wanted to know."

"I understand." She says softly and kisses her on the cheeks as her hands cup her slender neck. "Just think about good things today, alright? Let's just have fun today." SuA draws away from her, taking Siyeon by the hand into her bedroom.


	22. Chapter 22

"Yoohyeon!" She instantly screams and dashes for them as they give no indication of having heard her.

When she reaches the door and runs out onto the fire escape stairs, they are already several levels below. Paying no caution to danger, she crawls over the railings and drops to the next level, bruised hands catching the railing there. She does the same, dropping and catching. When she does it again, Siyeon comes face to face with the men hustling Yoohyeon. She appears to be semi-conscious, her head drooping as her hair covers her face.

Anger flares so suddenly through her that she pulls herself up to jump onto the floor in front of them and swings a weak punch for one of them.

He easily blocks it and shoves her against the railing, an arm against her throat. He grins and slaps her. Using her disorientation to his advantage, he pushes her over the balcony edge and she plummets several metres to the ground, landing on her back with a whoosh of air escaping from her mouth.

As she lies winded, the men sprint past.

One of them stops, fixing her with a malicious stare as he takes out a knife. "You meddling bitch." He says and shoves the blade down towards her.

She holds his wrist with shaking hands to stop him as the tip catches in her t-shirt material.

"Fuck off!" Siyeon growls fiercely as she fights him and the blade starts to dig into her skin. Desperately, when she realises she can't win the fight of strength, Siyeon thrusts her knee up into his groin and rolls away when he reacts predictably.

He falls and she clambers on top of him with weak strength and starts to strike him in the face repeatedly until he's just a bloody, unconscious person beneath her broken body.

By the time she looks up, the other men are gone, only leaving displaced gravel from their van.

Siyeon falls back onto her side and lies there, no longer able to move with the pain paralysing her body.

"Siyeon!" A voice calls in teary concern.

She groans, unable to do much more. "SuA."

Feet run over to her and SuA crouches over. "Oh my God, are you okay?"

Siyeon frowns as the pain reaches a new height and her hand reaches out to grasp SuA's hoodie. "Call the driver." She murmurs. "We need to get out of here."

SuA's eyes rove over her in concern and her eyes water. Following Siyeon's instructions shakily, she takes out her phone to call their driver, explaining the situation with much stuttering.

"I'm coming now." He says on speaker. "I'll bring the emergency crew with me to treat Siyeon and come right to your location." He hangs up and SuA kneels beside Siyeon.

"What happened?" She asks as her hand clenches one of Siyeon's hand, sticky with blood.

"They pushed me off the fire escape." She moans and breathes rapidly to try and control the pain pulsing through her bones.

SuA turns to look back at the warehouse then looks at the bloodied man next to them. She checks his pulse. "The guy's dead."

"He tried to kill me." Siyeon explains weakly. "Can you just...talk to me? I'm really struggling to, form...a sentence."

"Earlier when we separated, I ran into a room full of people." She says, her mouth a grim line. "I just ran straight back out and ran along another corridor and up some stairs. I can't really remember what happened to be honest."

She chats idly away, moving onto more mundane topics to distract Siyeon as her thumb moves in circles on the back of her hand.

A green van pulls up next to them and three people step out of the back. They're all dressed the same in red outfits and between them they hold a foldable stretcher.

SuA stands and waits as they slip Siyeon onto it and transfer her back into the van.

***

"So, we'll have our debrief here." Dami starts and crosses her hands on her lap. "Seeing you're currently rather injured."

Siyeon grins, her smile turning sarcastic with her bad temper as she crosses her hands on her lap. The IV that runs into one hand is draped awkwardly over her sheet-covered legs.

"You did actually manage to kill the gang boss." Dami shows her the glossy photo of a man's body on the ground, blood around his head in a ghastly halo. She recognises him as the first man she attacked after shooting the barrels.

"Well done for me." She scoffs.

"When our team searched the warehouse after your team left, we did find traces that someone had been held captive."

"And yet I was unable to stop them." Siyeon blames herself.

"You can't say that, Siyeon. It was not your fault and I won't have you shouldering the blame for it. Unfortunately, we were not able to rescue Yoohyeon, but we've found enough leads to give us suitable evidence to find her again."

"If you say so." She says despondently.

"SuA managed to escape harm by running and stayed hidden in the storeroom. Which is where evidence of someone being held captive was. And you chased after the people carrying Yoohyeon, being pushed off the fire escape and fell a hefty distance to the ground."

"I feel so stupid for allowing it to happen." Siyeon interjects. "I just..."

"It's alright, Siyeon." Dami reassures with her hand falling gently on her legs. "It's not your fault." She repeats. "So you sustained multiple injuries, including serious concussion to the head, a missing tooth, severely bruised shoulder blades and many minor bruises. You also had to have stitches to your cheek." Dami puts the file she's reading from down. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty bad." She replies honestly. "I don't think I'll be training for a while." She chuckles weakly. "Glad I didn't damage my spine."

"Definitely." She agrees. "I encourage you to take plenty of time off to recover, okay?"

"Yes, Dami." Siyeon nods.

***

"Handong." SuA starts.

"You failed your mission." Handong replies without turning to look at her as she continues to beat the punching bag with wrapped fists.

"I'm sorry." She murmurs and kneels apologetically, waiting for her anger.

Handong finally turns from the punching bag and looks down at SuA's form with a confident smile. Her face is angular and her delicate features are arranged perfectly. The only thing to mars her appearance is the scar stretching through one of her eyebrows and curving under her eye, passing dangerously close to her coal-grey irises.

Her body is covered in glistening sweat and she wipes it away with a damp towel, eyes always watching SuA's forlorn form.

"Was it because it was your girlfriend you had to kill?"

"...I couldn't bring myself to kill her." She apologises.

Handong rests a hand against SuA's neck as she crouches in front of her, her face still a mask of patience.

"Look at me." She says as her thumb curves around the front of her neck. SuA shivers at her touch and looks up slowly, fear threading through her eyes. "You're going to have to do better if you want to be an assassin for me." Her lip curls and her hand tightens around SuA's throat.

"Handong..." SuA whimpers as her breath catches in her throat and she struggles to breath, pleading silently to Handong's dead eyes.

"You're going to have to do better." She repeats, squeezing harder as the colour drains from SuA's face and she gasps, still not able to breath.

With a release of Handong's hand, SuA collapses to the ground and cradles her red throat.

"Do you promise me you'll work harder?"

"Y-yes." SuA croaks and stands shakily.

"Good." Handong smiles again. "Now, I have a new plan to trap your girlfriend as she gallantly tries to rescue her friend."

"What is it?" SuA hacks, her throat raw.

"I will send you both on a fake mission where we'll ambush Siyeon."

"But...what about Dami?"

"I will get rid of her myself." She says simply.


	23. Chapter 23

"We've had some leads on Yoohyeon's whereabouts." Dami starts once Siyeon is sat.

"Really?" Her eyes light up and her hands grip the chair arms tightly.

"There's rumours on the street she's being held by a gang in Upper S City."

"What will you do?"

In answer, Dami takes a stapled sheet from a draw and puts it on the desk in front of Siyeon. "These are the mission papers."

"Are you giving these to me because...you want me to take part in the mission?" She can barely believe her own words.

"That's right." She nods. "I had a meeting with the heads of departments and we decided that I can trust you to behave professionally."

Siyeon looks closer at the head of the top paper, spying the other assassin on the mission. "I'm doing it with SuA?"

"Is there a problem with that?"

"No, of course not. We work well together."

"Good. You and SuA read this," She taps the papers. "And meet outside of the garage tonight, eleven pm."

"Yes, Miss Dami." Siyeon stands and takes the papers. "I will carry out the mission to the best of my abilities."

"As I expect." A smile passes through her expression. "Don't let your personal feelings cloud your judgement. Take everything carefully."

"Of course, Ma'am." Siyeon assures her as she walks backwards to the door.

***

At eleven, Siyeon and SuA were waiting outside of the building's garage, both dressed in dark clothing.

SuA wears a khaki green hoodie, face mask, black jeans and trainers and Siyeon is dressed in her usual baggy jacket, black t-shirt, loose trousers and boots.

A single person emerges from the garage, driving a red van. He pokes his head out of the window and grins lopsidedly at them. "Everything you need is in the back."

"Thanks, mate." Siyeon adjusts her cap and opens the door to the back of the van to step inside. SuA follows behind.

They close the door and the van starts off again.

Siyeon heads straight for the rack of weapons and ammunition, taking two handguns and slipping one into a harness strapped to her leg and the other into her jacket pocket.

SuA follows her lead silently and straps on a harness around her waist to hold one of the guns. She slips the other into her hoodie pocket, her movements filled with nervous energy, even more than usual.

Siyeon takes SuA's hand and leans into her. "I hope she's there, alive."

"Me too." SuA wraps an arm carefully around the back of her head. "We're going to find her."

"Thank you for that." Siyeon mumbles. "I just need a little comfort to reassure me. I can't help but think of the worst."

"I get that." SuA nods and gently eases Siyeon to the van floor with her as the engine roars and they start off. Though her arms feel strong around her tense body, SuA's still shaking uncontrollably.

"You're nervous." Siyeon notes with a forced laugh and holds her waist, hands slipping under her hoodie and touching her sweating skin.

"You are too." SuA fires back snarkily and flicks her cheek before her hands snake under Siyeon's t-shirt.

"Your hands are cold." Siyeon giggles and quickly goes in for a kiss before the woman could protest.

"So what?" SuA frowns. Her expression quickly clears and she grins. "We can do this."

"I hope we can."

"We can, Siyeon. You're the best assassin I know."

Once her worried side is sedated, she allows herself to fall into her serious mission mode and sits up, bringing her knees to her chest.

"What are the mission aims?"

"Assassinate the gang leader along with his people, as needed. Search for Yoohyeon, or any evidence of her."

"That's right." She nods and stands again in the shaking van to strap a combat knife to her other leg.

SuA follows suit again and sits on the floor, her feet tapping away in nervousness.

Though Siyeon herself is extremely anxious towards the outcome of the mission, she tells herself that she should comfort SuA, both as a senior agent and girlfriend.

"Hey, I know this will be your first ever mission as a Rookie agent, but just work hard and it will go well."

"Thanks. I'm just worried about Yoohyeon."

"We're here." The driver calls into the back.

"Thanks for driving us. When will you pick us up?"

"Whenever you call. If you don't, at half one."

Siyeon carefully opens the van door and jumps down, landing silently. SuA steps out, her visible breath mixing with Siyeon's in the cold.

"Good luck." He tells them as he drives off and they move into the shadows of the street to get their bearings.

From the photos they looked through, the building the gang are based in is down the street, a converted warehouse.

"We'll check for possible entrances."

"Can't we just go right in through the front?" SuA asks and walks closer to the archway.

Siyeon blanks. "Yeah. We can do that, I suppose. Check if anyone's outside the warehouse."

SuA looks around the archway briefly. Her eyes look back at Siyeon, sparkling with a mix of excitement. "No one I can see."

"Uh-huh." Siyeon checks herself too, spying someone in the shadows of the front of the warehouse. "There is one person outside.You need to be more careful. Let's go." She dashes through the archway and crouches behind a shipping container.

The single man, leaning on the brick wall next to the large entrance to the warehouse yawns tiredly. He doesn't seem to notice them peeking out..

With ease, Siyeon pulls the handgun out of its harness to fire a silent shot at the man. He crumples with the shot that runs through his chest and SuA darts forward first to his body to drag it out of the entrance amd immediate sight.

Siyeon follows her, looking around for other people, but that man seemed to have been the only one outside.

"Let's move through the building together. I don't want something to go wrong, as you're still a Rookie agent."

"Sure." She agrees with a squeeze of her hand and they walk up the stairs and through the left door together, crouched low.

The room is at least twenty metres long and the people inside are packaging airtight white packets into barrels.

Drugs.

Another group appears to be cutting the white powder with packets of powdered milk. There is a second door on the other side of the room, but it seems impossible for them to get through the room without attracting attention.

Siyeon takes the gun without a silencer from her jacket and shoots a hole into one of the barrels, the sound tearing through the room.

Brown liquid erupts from the hole and the people turn in confusion and sudden anger, seeing her as she walks into plain sight of both groups.

"Who are you two?" One of them, a burly man, roars as he takes out a switchblade.

"An assassin." She grins and sprints forward, using a nearby crate to launch herself into the air, coming down heavily onto the man with a fist.

He is felled by the blow as his head connects with the concrete floor.

The men and women start to fan out both of them and Siyeon relishes in attacking them with her fists and the butt of her pistol. She doesn't see what SuA does, but she can hear fists connecting with skin.

The movement of battle excites her as she finds herself smoothly avoiding all the weak slices and punches, powered by her sinuous muscle.

When she takes the last person by their lapel, she doesn't attack but grinds the barrel of the gun under the woman's chin. "Where's Yoohyeon?"

"W-who? I don't know anything! Please don't kill me!" She begs with wide eyes.

Siyeon pushes the gun in harder, ignoring her cries of pain as SuA winces while watching her. "Are you telling the truth?"

"Yes! Yes, I am. I don't know anything you want!"

"Great." Siyeon smiles without humour and pushes the woman to the ground, using her weight to put power behind the move. She swings her knee into the side of her head and the woman falls to the ground.

Almost the instant she straightens, an alarm goes off. Siyeon doesn't know what the alarm is for, but she can only assume that something is wrong.

"They must know we're here!" SuA says urgently as she holds Siyeon's wrist tightly. "What do we do?"

"I don't think so..." Siyeon trails off as her danger sense runs through her limbs.

The door they came through is shoved open and slams against the wall as several men and women sprint through. "There!" One shouts, pointing at them. "Get them!"

"Oh, shit." Siyeon mutters and takes a small metal ball from inside her jacket to smash it on the ground. Smoke bursts up from the shards and engulfs the room with the thick fog. "Quick!" She whispers and takes SuA through the door on the opposite side of the room as gunshots fire out from the room they were just in.

"Do we abandon the mission?" SuA asks hurriedly as Siyeon slams the door and briefly barrs it with her back so she can talk to SuA.

"No. We can't. We should separate to try and find the gang boss." She orders as something smashes against the door. "You got this?" Siyeon takes another smoke ball from her jacket, preparing to remove her weight from the door.

"Yes." SuA's face pales but she nods courageously.

"Alright. Good luck." Siyeon grins slyly. "Off you run."

SuA sprints off down the corridor and disappears around the corner.

Siyeon looks ahead at the hallway in front of her and leaps forward into a sprint as she throws down the ball and it explodes into smoke.

The door opens behind her and curses follow as she runs to the room at the end, knowing from the plans she studied that it is the largest room of the warehouse and the likeliest room for the gang boss to be in.

"There she is!" A woman yells as she exits from a room in the corridor and rugby-tackles Siyeon to the floor.

"What the fuck!" Siyeon yells and squirms from beneath her, confused by the way everyone seems to know where she is. Other people start to come down the hallway and she becomes desperate in her escape from the strong arms. She repeatedly smashes her fist into the woman's face and neck until her grip loosens as sticky blood smears across her face.

Jumping to her feet, Siyeon turns. A man swings a fist for her head. She ducks and jabs him in the ribs as well as smashing an elbow into his sternum and he stumbles away with a hand clutched to his chest.

Others come for her with fists. Siyeon treats the whole fight as a training session. When she does that, she is able to stop the danger and fear she feels in the situation to dissipate. Her elbows and knees are her best weapons and she doesn't use them sparingly. The smell of blood fills her nostrils as noses shatter and skin splits open at her strikes.

A stocky man catches her off-guard, his fist darting into her mouth.

She staggers back as she tastes blood and a tooth comes free in her mouth. Siyeon spits it out as he tries to punch her again, grabbing her wrist as well to increase the force of his punch. She avoids his punch to headbutt him and slams an elbow into his temple.

When he falls, she realises that he was the last person of the ambush party and now the hallway is only filled with groaning bodies.

If this was what ambushed her, then how could SuA have coped with the people who must have also followed and attacked her? She couldn't bear to think that she had been captured and it worries her immensely.

Bringing her attention back to the door at the end, she rushes through it, all caution now lost because everyone knows that they're in the building.

Inside the hall, Siyeon glimpses a frail female girl being manhandled out of yet another door, leading to outside. 

"Yoohyeon!" She screams desperately.


	24. Chapter 24

Dami washes her face free of the dirt of today, already feeling refreshed from the spritz of water over her skin.

"Ah..." She sighs and her mind returns to Siyeon. "I'm worried about her." Dami admits to herself as she leaves the bathroom, intending to go back into her bedroom.

Her feet stop in the space between the rooms as she notices that her bedroom door is open.

She definitely didn't leave it like that. Senses tingle in her brain and Dami turns deliberately to walk down the stairs and into the living room. As she sits on the sofa, her hand slides under the cushion and closes around the handle of a combat knife she secretes there.

Someone else was in the house.

Predictably, that someone comes into the room and Dami turns to look at them, no surprise crossing her features as she regards them coolly.

"Handong." She says lightly.

"You're not going to make it easy for me then." Handong sniffs in offence as she stands opposite Dami.

"No." She answers simply. "Who will make the first move?"

Handong lunges forward to grab Dami's free arm and pulls her off the sofa. Dami lets her and uses her momentum to slice the knife in the other hand towards Handong.

She blocks it with her own blade that appears out of her loose sleeve and they tussle with their knives, the metal constantly chinking.

Sweat drips furiously down Dami's forehead as she dodges and attacks, fear coursing through her veins. She doesn't want to die. She doesn't want to die knowing that Handong would still be alive.

Sizing each other up as they battle, Dami knows Handong is far more skilled than her but refuses to give up as she blocks each attack with decreasing energy. There was the smallest chance to come out on top.

Handong stabs her knife up to the hilt through Dami's chest and catches her as the woman falls, all control failing.

She lowers her to the floor carefully and crouches there with Dami in her arms as she struggles to cling onto life.

"You bitch." She whispers with venom at the younger girl as she lies there weakly in her warm embrace.

Handong simply watches, her signature smile still on her lips. "You can't stop me anymore."

"What...are you going to do?"

"You don't need to know that." She says supremely, barely suppressing her winning grin.

"Tell me."

"A little betrayal is in store." She teases, feeling Dami's heartbeat weaken gradually against her body.

Dami's chest moves deeply in an attempt to bring air into her punctured lungs, but only the sound of blood rattles and she hacks up a dribble of blood. She falls back against Handong.

"Who...?"

"SuA." Dami's eyes widen, but Handong shushes her as if she's a baby. "You won't be alive to see it." The woman pauses, eyes sparkly cruelly. "You know what, there's something else I want you to know."

"Whaa...t?" Her eyelashes flutter weakly and her hand grips at Handong's jacket loosely.

"The whole mission where Siyeon got hurt. That was a fake gang, set up to trap Siyeon. I had planned for SuA to kill her, but...the girl let her feelings get the better of her and didn't." She shrugs as Dami continues to tremble.

"You sly..." Dami's eyes still and her breath catches as her body relaxes, eyes staring into nothing. Her hand falls away from Handong's jacket.

Handong gives a satisfied smile and lowers Dami's body to the floor. She slides the knife from her chest and wipes the blood off on Dami's clothes.

"Sorry, old girl." She says without an ounce of sincerity. "I needed you out of the way."

***

Siyeon is now largely healed from her injuries, with a slight headache ailing her every now and then whenever she worked hard on something

It had been many unbearable weeks since she has visited the company and she is itching to return as each day passes.

"Hey, SuA." She starts curiously, looking up from her laptop.

"What's wrong?" SuA asks as she turns on the sofa towards her.

"Dami sent me an email giving me a mission." Siyeon says slowly.

"Well what's odd about that?"

"She doesn't normally send emails about the missions. She always sees you in person to give you the mission papers, but..." She scrolls down the email and sees the mission papers attached as a document. "She's attached them here."

"Perhaps she's ill or something." SuA shrugs without concern. "What's the mission?"

Siyeon opens the document and her eyes widen as she realises the mission aims. "It's a definite lead about Yoohyeon!"

"Yoohyeon?" The word makes SuA rush to her side and she reads the document over Siyeon's shoulder. "And look." She points to a specific line in the email. "It says that we're the ones doing the mission."

"Just us?" Siyeon says in a puzzled tone. "We messed up the mission last time, so why does she want us to do it again?"

"She trusts you, Siyeon." SuA says warmly. "She knows it wasn't your fault that the mission went wrong."

"That's a nice way of putting it." Siyeon laughs softly. "The mission is arranged for tomorrow night. Perhaps I'll see her today to catch up."

"Oh, well, you could just email to check she's at the company since she's emailed this to you." She seems flustered.

"I'll do that." Siyeon takes her advice without concern and emails to ask if she could visit her office.

A reply comes back soon.

'Siyeon,

I am currently taking a break from the company as I have caught the flu and am leaving the heads of departments in charge in my absence.

Dami.'

"Well, it seems you were right." Siyeon says to SuA, who's gone back to watch the TV. "She's got the flu."

"There you are, a logical explanation." SuA says confidently, her smile on the edge of faltering. "When you've finished reading the mission documents can I read them after?"

"Sure, I'll leave my laptop on for you."

***

"This is an odd mission." Siyeon comments as she stops the car in an empty car park.

"What do you mean?" SuA asks curiously as she double-checks her weapons.

"I don't know. Something's different. Usually if two assassins go on a mission, one stays in the car, ready for the getaway. But we're both going in."

"What happens if no one stays in the car?" She asks curiously.

"Well...I guess it just takes too long to leave the area." Siyeon shrugs and turns the engine off before getting out.

"We'll be fine." SuA reassures again. "Just go in, find Yoohyeon, escape. Kill people if we need to."

Siyeon chuckles as she slips a handgun into her leg harness and her jacket pocket along with a knife in her other leg harness. "You make it sound so easy."

"It will be. You're an expert at this thing." SuA lays the compliments on thick.

They walk out of the car park and down the road towards the terrace house where Yoohyeon was apparently being held.

"There's no one outside the house." Siyeon reports cautiously in a low tone.

"Do we walk straight in then?"

"Are any windows open?"

"Nope."

"Then we jimmy the door and go in."

"Great." SuA jangles the lock-kit as they crouch to pass under the ground floor windows of the house.

Siyeon takes the kit silently from her hands and opens it, looking into the lock to gauge which tools she'll need. "Just look around carefully to see if you can see anyone."

"I'll use these. Thermal-sensor goggles." SuA proclaims in whispered excitement and Siyeon rolls her eyes.

"Never knew those were a thing. Just...be careful." She sighs and goes to work on the lock.

SuA slips the goggles on and peers through the window, a cautious smile forming on her face. "There's no one on the ground floor."

"Really? Those things actually work?" She scoffs in disbelief. "Ah, got it!" Siyeon pulls the door handle and opens the door inwards to let them both in.

As SuA reported, there is no one in immediate sight.

She looks up at the ceiling intently. "I think there's someone upstairs."

"I'll take a look."

"I'm coming with you." SuA replies stubbornly and they creep up the stairs, peering around the corner at the top of the stairs.

Siyeon can't see anyone, so she steps onto the floor and looks around the rooms. "No one." She whispers.

"I'm looking at the floor above." SuA says and looks up at the ceiling again. It's a bizarre sight with the thick goggles over her eyes and she cracks a smile at her antics. "There's someone on the floor above. They're sitting. I think it's Yoohyeon."

"Are you sure?" Siyeon demands urgently as she becomes serious again.

"I'm sure. I can't see anyone else."

"You're really sure? We can't afford to mess up." Siyeon warns as she heads for the stairs to upstairs.

"I'm sure." SuA follows her behind.

There is a door at the end of the stairs, but again, it's locked. "I'll unlock it." Siyeon's movements become more frantic, knowing that SuA was right, that Yoohyeon was behind that door. They were so close!

But as she becomes more hasty, she takes longer to pick the lock. So Siyeon forces herself to take slower breaths and steadies her movements so that they are precise and calm. Once she does that, it doesn't take long for the door to click and it unlocks.

Siyeon springs inside, SuA close behind.


	25. Chapter 25

Siyeon instantly springs through the doorway desperately and into the wide space. In the centre of the room is Yoohyeon, bound by ropes to a solid wooden chair.

"Yoohyeon!" She cries and runs to the limp girl.

She stirs lethargically at her voice and her eyes focus on Siyeon. "...Siyeon?"

"Siyeon, look." From beside her, SuA points to a woman standing facing the window on the other side of the room.

As Siyeon's hand caresses one of Yoohyeon's, her eyes follow SuA's finger to the willowy woman, dressed in all black.

Her memory reignites and conjures the image of the woman who murdered her parents.

When the woman turns, Siyeon gasps.

It is the woman. The one who ruined her life.

"Hello, Siyeon." She greets casually. "My name's Handong."

No words come out of her mouth as SuA moves erratically in nervousness beside her. Yoohyeon's terrified eyes struggle up to Siyeon and she holds Siyeon's hand tighter, not wanting her to leave.

"And this...is a trap." She grins and her eyes move to SuA with a nod.

Siyeon turns to follow her gaze as something hard smashes into her temple. She falls to the ground, losing her grip on Yoohyeon's hand as she struggles to comprehend what just happened with her shaken mind.

"I'm so sorry, Siyeon." SuA's voice trembles.

"Finish it!" Handong shouts and SuA hits Siyeon again as she tries to raise her hands in protection.

"Siyeon!" Yoohyeon screams tearfully.


	26. Chapter 26

...SuA.

SuA?

SuA...attacked her?

SuA isn't on her side?

SuA...betrayed me.

As Siyeon comes to, anger rages through her head, all directed on SuA. It would have all gone right if SuA hadn't double-crossed her.

Laced with that anger is throbbing pain, piercing through her temples and skull. She becomes aware that her body doesn't feel restricted, but there are vices of something hard around both of her wrists, held above her tightly.

She cracks her eyes open, the action made harder by the caked blood over her eyelids and face.

Her wrists are suspended above her in tight buckles and are the only things holding her up. Siyeon stands weakly and leans against the wall as she feels momentarily faint, the room spinning a little.

Her eyes search the room in front of her. There are only two other people in the room and neither of them are Yoohyeon.

"Where is Yoohyeon?" She demands hoarsely and clears her throat as she glares aggressively at SuA.

SuA shrinks from her gaze and moves further behind Handong, who wraps an arm around her shoulders.

Handong answers. "My people are returning her to her home as we speak. She's served her purpose to us. We can trust her not to spill anything."

Siyeon is silently relieved that Yoohyeon was going to safe, but doesn't allow her relief to cross her face, instead continuing to regard them both coolly.

"It's taken a while to finally get you. Five years, isn't it?" Handong continues. "You were never my immediate priority, but as you started to take out people important to me and my organisation...I realised that you needed to go."

"You could have just had one of your assassins kill me." Siyeon returns with a scowl. "That wouldn't have taken as long as this."

"But what is the fun in that? You wouldn't have known that I was the one who had you killed. So I chose the perfect person to act in my play." She stands SuA in front of her forcefully. "Kim SuA."

"You were always working for her?" Siyeon asks SuA as her heart tears in expectation of her answer.

"...Yes." She admits shamefully.

"Did you ever really like me?" Siyeon demands spitefully. "Or was that an act as well?"

"No! I really did! Siyeon, please..."

"That's enough." Handong stops her and pushes her out of the way. "Today will end with your death." She warns.

"So fucking kill me then."

"Soon enough that will happen." Handong walks closer until she's only inches away. "Your ancestors were assassins as well as your parents."

"So you want to get rid of my 'bloodline'?" Siyeon interjects angrily. "Wipe me out and you'll be happy? That's very original."

"Yes." She admits, her head tilting. "It's the easiest thing to make me feel safer. You're a very dangerous person, Siyeon."

"You'll kill someone just to feel safe?" Her lip curls.

"Of course. SuA, come here."

SuA moves to stand next to Handong, her eyes avoiding Siyeon.

Handong takes a knife out of its sheath on her belt and hands it to SuA. "You're going to be the one to do it."

SuA stares at the knife as if it's her worst fear and gulps as she takes the handle.

Siyeon's eyes also watch the knife, the sinking feeling in her gut telling her that something bad was going to happen. Very soon.

Tears trickle down SuA's pale cheeks as she takes the knife in both hands, her eyes staring at Siyeon's chest while she steps closer.

"I'm sorry." She mumbles.

"I hate you." Siyeon seethes with venom as SuA's arms rear in the air before plunging the knife deep into Siyeon's chest.

Her body spasms and she cries out as pained warmth floods her body. Her legs buckle beneath her and she can already feel the life ebbing out of her rapidly.

She doesn't want to die.

"I don't...want to die." She murmurs and her head falls forward as she faints from the shock.

"Is she alive, SuA?" Handong asks. "Check."

SuA's hands feel at Siyeon's blood-splattered throat for her pulse and draws back quickly. "I-I can't feel anything." She cries desperately.

"Well done." Handong congratulates, immune to the horror. "You've made me proud."

"What...what are we doing with her body?"

"Dump it somewhere. It doesn't matter. She's dead."


	27. Chapter 27

Before the two girls Dami's grave stands, a modest granite headstone topping the stone box over her coffin, buried deep into the ground.

Yet Dami's name on the headstone read 'Lee Yubin', a name they had never heard in reference to their boss.

"Did we even really know her?" Gahyeon questions, her eyes staring hard into the engraving. "We didn't even know that 'Dami' wasn't her real name."

"We don't have to know her real name to know who she really was. She was...a great leader to us, Gahyeon."

The grey sky is clouded over and their expressions are sombre as they continue to stare in silent disbelief at the grave.

"Do you know exactly what happened to her?" Gahyeon asks quietly. "I heard you saw the camera footage."

"She was murdered." JiU says, stating the almost-obvious. "The camera recorded everything. It seems she had it put in place in case anything happened...and it did."

"Everything?"

She nods grimly.

"It was a woman who murdered her. They talked and then attacked each other. Then she stabbed Dami. Or Yubin."

"Oh my God..." She breathes, though her tone isn't shocked more saddened.

"But the woman was talking to Dami and holding her in her arms. They must have known each other."

"Perhaps they did. She was probably one of Dami's enemies that caught up to her." Gahyeon reasons. "In the time that she's been operating, I'm sure she's made plenty of them."

"True." JiU accepts. "But I think it wasn't a coincidence that Dami dies and then Siyeon is found on a street in a coma."

Gahyeon winces. "Yeah. Speaking of Siyeon, how is she?"

"Still asleep." She sighs. "The doctors aren't sure of the extent of damages that her injuries have had on her. She hasn't woken at all since we found her three weeks ago."

"What was it? A stab wound in the chest?"

"That's right. Thankfully, it didn't go anywhere near her heart, but it's caused a lot of damage to her internal organs."

Gahyeon's face turns more miserable. "Things have really gone wrong haven't they? Coupled with those two incidents, SuA has disappeared. The last image on CCTV we have of her is when she leaves the flat with Siyeon." She snuggles deeper into her coat.

"Do you think SuA did that to--"

"Of course not." Gahyeon denies vehemently. "She doesn't seem like a person who could do that so coldly."

***

Now that Dami was no longer running the company, the four heads of department jointly took over running the company. They arranged missions, spoke with contacts and learnt to handle many other things that no one realised Dami managed to keep the company running smoothly.

***

Siyeon wakes, her wrists bound to the wall by leather buckled loops. Her eyes traverse the room and she recognises the place that her dream has made.

The single person on the other side of the room turns and walks without hesitation towards her.

"SuA." Siyeon shouts at her.

SuA doesn't reply, only stopping when she's a few metres away. Her eyes are blank, but a smile is on her face.

"Fucking answer me." She demands.

"Angry at my betrayal?" She asks with a grin, though her eyes remain disturbingly dead and pale.

"What do you think?" She retorts and shakes the cuffs in an attempt to loosen them.

"It was a pleasure to deceive you all this time. I acted the way I did at the start to draw you in, to make me curious about me, to want to know me."

"Oh, shut up. Are you here just to gloat?" Her lip curls. "Fuck off if you are!"

"I'm here to say that I never liked you, not a word I said. It was all false." She walks forward to sneer in her face.

Siyeon takes the chance to slam her leg out into her belly.

SuA flops backwards to the ground, not seeming aggravated by the aattack. Instead she just brushes herself off as she stands. "You angry?" She taunts, waiting for her to answer. 

When Siyeon doesn't, instead staring deeply at her cold eyes, she starts to talk again. "And that sob story about my parents? That was false as well. I needed it to draw you in and make you sympathise with me. 'The poor girl lost her parents, I lost mine as well'." SuA mocks Siyeon's voice and takes a knife out. "Hmm?"

"You're lying. You're just saying all these things to make me mad."

"You think? Take a look at yourself, Siyeon." SuA comes forward again, but with a wave of her hand, Siyeon's legs are secured to the wall and she can't fight back.

"I'm just voicing your thoughts, your suspicions, all those little niggling feelings." SuA draws the cold point of the knife along one of Siyeon's pale arms. "You knew something was wrong about me when I joined the company, didn't you?"

"...Yes." She admits.

"See? We're getting somewhere!" She digs the point deep into her flesh and draws down, but Siyeon can't feel anything apart from the warmth of her body.

"But you ignored it to focus on teaching me because I was the path to getting the promotion you desperately wanted."

"Yes. I was blinded by my ambition."

"I agree completely." SuA takes the blade out and moves it to the other arm as blood pours down Siyeon's other arm, soaking her clothes.

"Why did Dami hire you? If I felt something was off, then surely she did."

"She hoped to change me. To encourage me to join the 'good' side. And look where that got her."

"It was Handong that killed her, not her decision to let you enter the company."

"Things only went downhill from that moment, didn't they? And you know what? I was the one who told Handong how to find Yoohyeon."

"How? I never told you anything!"

"But you told me about a club she attended. All I had to do was get someone to follow her home from that club and then tell Handong."

Siyeon's face falls. "So everything was a trick?"

"It was all a farce." She agrees and plunges the knife through her heart.


	28. Chapter 28

"She's awake!" JiU runs into their bedroom, clutching her phone.

"Who? Siyeon?" Gahyeon looks up from the computer, where she is looking up recipes for dinner that night.

"Yes!" JiU flings open her cupboard and rustles through her clothing to find something more presentable. "I'm going to see her now, you coming?"

"Of course." Gahyeon turns the computer off and stands. "Do you know anything more other than that she's awake?"

JiU puts on a pink floral shirt and buttons it up. "Nope. The doctors are running tests right now before we visit her. The company heads want us to go and visit her because we're the closest to Siyeon."

"Are you suggesting that we'll be questioning her about what happened?"

"Exactly." JiU tightens her belt loop. "You ready?"

***

Before they enter Siyeon's private room, they speak with her doctor.

"How is she at the moment, sir?" JiU asks politely.

The older man clears his throat before replying. "She's stable at the moment and we have given her some painkillers to numb the pain. She is able to speak clearly and her sight is fine."

"Great, thank you, sir." JiU smiles in relief. "May we see her now?"

"Yes, of course. The patient will likely tire easily, so do not stay too long."

The girls enter the room and walk to Siyeon's bedside.

She blinks up at them sleepily. "JiU and Gahyeon." She identifies them in a quiet voice, rough from not speaking for a while.

"Siyeon." JiU starts the mood lightly by taking Siyeon's limp hand as if they were doing a handshake. "How are you?"

She cracks a lazy smile. "Pretty drugged up."

Gahyeon laughs lightly and sits with JiU, taking Siyeon's other hand in her own. "We're glad you're awake. We've been really worried about you."

Her smile falters as the mood changes. "This is when you drop all the bombshells, isn't it?"

"...Dami is dead." JiU tells her first. Siyeon sucks in a breath and her eyes look to the ceiling. "We found her body at her home. She was murdered by a woman."

"It must have been Handong." Siyeon says as her gaze travels back to the two. "I...had a feeling she wasn't here anymore." She says to herself, remembering the oddly vivid dream about SuA.

"Handong?"

"I'll explain, but you two look like you have more dooming things to say to me first."

"Erm, SuA's gone missing. But the only good thing, I guess, is that Yoohyeon is safe and sound. We've been going to see her a lot, these past weeks."

"Yoohyeon's safe?" Siyeon sighs in relief, ignoring what they first said.

JiU and Gahyeon meet eyes suspiciously before they look back at Siyeon, who watches them.

"Do you want to tell us what happened?"

"Sure." Anger floods into Siyeon's voice that she struggles to raze. "I got sent an email from 'Dami', detailing a mission to rescue Yoohyeon in which SuA and I would be completing. When was Dami killed?"

"Several hours before you were found."

"So someone posed as Dami using her email account. Then we went to the location, I picked the lock and SuA had thermal goggles, which she used to identify that there was someone a couple of floors above."

"Thermal goggles don't exactly work like that."

"I know that now." Siyeon replies bitterly. "So we go in the room, Yoohyeon's there. But so is a woman and next thing I know, SuA nails me and knocks me out."

They raise their eyebrows. "What?" They say together in shock. "SuA--"

"Was working with the woman, who's called Handong, and must be the one who killed Dami."

"That's terrible." Gahyeon puts a hand over her mouth.

"And then?" JiU continues.

"I woke up, restrained to a wall. Handong gave some stupid story about wanting to destroy my bloodline then told SuA to kill me." Her eyes close for a moment, remembering. "And she stabbed me. That's the last thing I remember before waking here."

JiU writes her account down in the notebook she brought with her.

"So SuA is working with Handong?"

"Yeah. She was the whole time." Siyeon looks away from them, out of the window. "What's going to happen now?"

"Currently, the heads of department are running the company and things are running...mostly smooth, we've had no leads on Dami's killer."

"How am I healing?" She then asks. "They didn't really tell me much."

"They didn't tell me much either." JiU admits. "But they say you're stable. Your injuries have been healing for four weeks, so I can assume that your injuries are mostly repaired. You should spend the next couple of months resting up and regaining your strength."

"Yet again." Siyeon mutters. "The amount of times I've been confined to hospital recently..." She grumbles, but doesn't protest. A yawn breaks through her tough exterior and she stifles it unsuccessfully.

"We'll be leaving now." JiU says, watching her yawn. "Rest well and I hope you get better soon." They get up together and move to the door.

"Keep me updated." Siyeon calls.

"Will do!"

***

Siyeon rests in her own bed, playing a computer game and listening to music. She clicks desperately with her right index finger on the mouse as her on-screen character fights off several enemies. Her other hand clicks a key on the keyboard to avoid hits. As her character finishes fighting, she releases a breath.

Yoohyeon pops her head into the room, her eyes crinkling in amusement. "I heard you killing some people."

"Yup. My character killed them with her bad-ass body." Siyeon replies and pats the bed beside her. "Come sit down."

Carefully, Yoohyeon clambers onto the bed and lies next to her. Siyeon puts her arm around her, reaching her hand out to the keyboard so that she could still continue playing her game as they chat.

"How are you?" Yoohyeon asks.

"Meh." Siyeon shrugs. "Not great. If I stop playing games like these, then I'll start thinking about everything I don't want to. So I keep playing to distract myself. But if I weren't playing games...I 'd probably be crying my heart out." She answers with brutal honesty.

"I'm glad you're being honest." Yoohyeon replies. "You can't ignore the world forever though."

"I know. I have to accept that things have changed, that Dami's dead and SuA's betrayed me before I can really move on." She sighs. "I just don't want to do that right now."

"I understand that." Yoohyeon watches as people start to attack Siyeon's character again. "I can't force you to 'get over it'. Just take it at your own pace. Things will always get better in the future."

"Wise words, Yoohyeon." She huffs and grins. "It's a shame that I've never been a fan of them." She shrugs and focuses back on her game.

"How did you sleep last night?" Yoohyeon asks. "I often hear you in the night."

"Badly. I have awful dreams. Usually, it's the moments before SuA stabs me."

"What happens?" She asks softly.

"She taunts me. But she doesn't talk like SuA. She tells me that she is my thoughts. All the doubts I have related to SuA. That she betrayed me, deceived me, that everything was an act."

"I'm really sorry, Siyeon." Yoohyeon apologises and burrows deeper into her.

"What for?"

"I was the one who encouraged you to seek out SuA for...romantic company."

"But it was me that felt like that. My thoughts tell me that her initial aloofness was just a way to draw me in, her saddening backstory a way to make me empathise."

"Hey, stop torturing yourself, Siyeon!" Yoohyeon pokes her in the head without looking.

"I can't help it!" She retorts. "It just...happens in my dreams."

"Okay, then we'll think of a way to stop that happening. Pause the game." She commands seriously and sits up.

Reluctantly, Siyeon pauses the game and turns to look at her.

"What services does your company offer?"

"Dami mentioned that they have a mental health team." Siyeon starts, knowing that that would be what she wants to hear.

"Perfect. Make an appointment with them as soon as you can."

"Sure." She replies half-heartedly.

"What's making you reluctant?" Yoohyeon asks, her voice bordering on playful confrontation.

"I don't know if they'll understand who I am when they treat me. Like I'll just be another person visiting them to sort out my problems. I guess, they won't get to know me."

"Psychiatrists are very nice people." Yoohyeon reassures. "And if you have one you don't feel is helping you in the right way, you can change freely, they won't bear any hard feelings against you because everyone works differently. And they're trained, they'll know what they're doing and try their best to help you."

"Like you're trying your best to persuade me." Siyeon smirks. "Alright, I'll call them later today."

"Great!" Yoohyeon exclaims with a grin. "I'll let you get back to your game."


	29. Chapter 29

"Siyeon." Someone calls her name and she wakes with a grunt. Her eyes blink silently at the dark ceiling.

"Siyeon!" They call again, more urgently this time.

She sits up with effort and looks for the source of the voice, finding a silhouette by the window where the moon was shining through. The curtain itself was blowing in the wind, from through the open window.

"Who is it?" She asks.

"Could you, switch on your light?" They ask and Siyeon instantly knows who it is.

With irritation and anger, Siyeon gets to her feet and slams her hand on the switch to turn it on.

Light illuminates the room and the two girls.

"SuA." She scowls at her.

SuA acts like a frightened mouse, shrinking away from her gaze to walk further into the room.

"Stay right there. Do not come further into my room." Siyeon takes a handgun from her bedside table and points it at her after taking the safety off. "Do not give me reason to use this."

SuA holds her hands up in an attempt to pacify. "Alright." She stops in her tracks and retreats.

"Good." Siyeon puts the safety back on and rests the gun on the sheets, ready to pick up again. "Why the fuck are you here?"

"I wanted to talk."

"Well, I don't bloody want to. Get out!"

"Please, Siyeon. Can I just--"

"No, you can't. I don't want to hear anything your lying mouth says."

"No, Siyeon! Not everything I ever said was a lie. I really do like you!"

"Oh, bullshit!" She roars in reply, causing the girl to flinch. "You betray me like that and then say that 'not everything was a lie' and that you like me? What kind of crap-talker are you?"

"Siyeon..." SuA says miserably. "I was forced into this. Handong chose me for a mission, I didn't know what was going to happen. My mission was just to infiltrate the company and assassinate you! But...I got cold feet when I started to really get to know you."

Her lip wrinkles. "Uh-huh. You're going to try and make me believe that cock-and-bull story? Just, please...get out." All the energy is sucked out of her and she sinks onto the bed, looking forlornly away. "You ruined my life and you can't change that. I don't think I'll ever be able to trust you again."

SuA watches her like a wounded animal, desperately wanting to be closer to Siyeon, but also knowing that Siyeon was likely to carry out her threats if she did.

"Just...go away. Don't seek me out again." Siyeon turns back to her as tears glisten in her eyes.

SuA gives one last begging look and climbs out of the window, disappearing out of sight.

The door opens and Yoohyeon enters the room cautiously. "Who was that?"

"SuA." She replies and walks to the window, watching SuA use a wire to lower herself back to the ground. The wire was moored in the wall under her window and it was so tempting to just...yank it out and get rid of her problem forever.

Yoohyeon hugs her from behind. "I won't say anything if you do pull it out."

"Was I talking aloud?"

"Yeah." She says, also watching SuA.

"We're only on the fifth floor. It wouldn't hurt her too bad if I did." She leans out of the window, her hand hovering over the hook as she watches SuA abseil down.

"But should you?" Yoohyeon questions neutrally.

"No." She answers in a small voice and straightens back into the room. How much did you hear?"

"A lot." She replies, still hugging her. "Do you want to swap rooms? Mine doesn't have a window."

"She won't come back." Siyeon says and slips back into bed, her facial expressions showing sadness. "I just don't know if anything she says is true anymore."

***

Siyeon stops her training early, her heart no longer able to carry on beating the punching bag. Her fists are already bloody because she didn't want to put on gloves through it has just caused more pain for her. The pain is dull and doesn't really bother her, reminding Siyeon that she was still alive.

Her hand reaches out for the punching bag to steady herself as she leans on it, closing her eyes.

"I don't want to go on like this anymore." Siyeon tells herself tiredly. "But I don't know how to change it so that I'm happier."

Tears spark at her eyes, but they do not fall. She squeezes her eyes shut desperately for the tears to fall, to tell herself that she really was upset; but they refuse to fall.

"I want to give up." Siyeon murmurs and straightens again. "But I just sound pathetic saying that."


	30. Chapter 30

Handong watches from the shadows of the warehouse as SuA returns solemnly, visibly limping and in discomfort.

When SuA gets close enough, she emerges from the shadows into the moonlight.

SuA's eyes widen when she sees her and gasps. "You scared me!"

"What were you doing out?" She asks directly.

"Oh, er...One of the team members was celebrating their birthday--"

"And one of them hurt your leg?" She returns wryly with heavy sarcasm. "What. Were. You. Doing?"

"I, er, er." SuA is reluctant to tell her, fearing her reaction. "Tried to see Siyeon." She recalled dropping hurriedly to the ground in a blind panic from two metres high, the moment she realised Siyeon had her hand out to pull her line out of the wall.

"Siyeon, huh?" Handong takes her by the arm to lead her into the warehouse and upstairs towards her gym.

Fear rises in SuA's throat, knowing from her ice-calm voice that she shouldn't have said that. But lying to Handong is impossible, so it was better to tell the truth, even if the consequences were dire. 

Handong pulls her into the room and heads straight for the ring. "Fight with me."

"Is this my punishment?" SuA whimpers.

"Consider it a warning, you naughty girl. Where did you find out that Siyeon was alive from?"

"From the spy in Kim and Lee." She admits as Handong gives her a pair of hand wraps.

"I'll be having a talk with them as well." She winds the fabric over her own fists. SuA can't help but grimace as she imagines those fists beating her down and the fury that would be behind them.

"Oh, really?" She says weakly and quickly stretches, following Handong's lead.

"Yes." Handong sets a timer on her phone. "We'll fight for five minutes. The aim is to incapacitate, in any way. So, dirty tricks are allowed." She smiles and starts the timer before dropping her phone and assuming a defensive stance. "Do your worst."

SuA is afraid of Handong, but she has to follow orders, even ones like these where she knows that she was going to be the one coming out worse.

She rushes forward and leaps into the air to give her downward punch more momentum, but Handong easily side-steps and responds almost immediately with a kick to the chest.

SuA's hands rush back up to protect her body and Handong strikes her fist out for her face with impossibly-fast speed. Sher strikes SuA's cheek at full force and pushes her back as the knock dazes her.

She falls to the ground and scrambles back to her feet as Handong attacked her again in the face. Her body falls, but she doesn't even get up before Handong's hitting her again, no mercy evident in her actions. Try as she might, it's impossible to keep her guard up as the woman pummels any part of her exposed. 

SuA takes this all with many screams and whimpers of pain that Handong doesn't seem to hear as she beats her.

"Please stop!" She begs with a sob, scrunched up in a ball.

The timer goes off and SuA lets out a muffled cry, terrified that Handong would actually kill her in her frenzy.

Handong does stop and stands over her, breathing heavily, a crazy look in her eyes. The woman definitely lost control. She turns away and SuA uncurls slowly, feeling pain in every part of her body as well as the blood coating her face.

"That's it for tonight." Handong says, the control returning to her voice. "I hope you've learnt your lesson."

"Yes, Handong." SuA grovels and hurries to her feet and wobbles out of the ring and back to the dormitory she shares with the other assassins. "I won't see Siyeon again." She promises herself, full of fear from her experience with Handong.

Was the woman really that angry with her? Was she really that unhinged?

She troubled this over, hobbling slowly back downstairs to her room. Once inside, she slams the door and moves to the bathroom.

As she runs a bath, she sits staring at the floor, feeling hopeless.

The woman she loved despised her and the company she was in wasn't much better to her. Siyeon was who made her happy, made her forget that at the end of each day she would have to call Handong and report all she'd learnt.

Shaking herself out of her daze, SuA turns the taps off and slips into the bath fully clothed and watched as blood seeped through the water.

What was going to happen now?


	31. Chapter 31

Yongbok gets ready for work, putting on a navy pin-striped suit jacket. He then looks in the mirror to check how his hair looks.

Perfect.

He nods in satisfaction and moves on to straighten his tie, checking that the smaller part is tucked behind. Once that's done, he heads into the kitchen to have his breakfast, taking a bowl from the microwave after it dings.

The smell of porridge greets his nostrils as the surface of it bubbles and his tummy rumbles hungrily. He smiles and sets the bowl down on the table, positioned in front of a window.

Yongbok likes to watch out of the window as he eats, observing his neighbours in their natural habitats. He can already see the parent from next door tiredly walking his child off down the road to school.

"Ow!" Yongbok winces as he sips at the hot porridge on his spoon, too hot to even consider eating it. With a patient sigh, he blows at the porridge on his spoon to cool it and finally eats it.

All is normal. He'll be heading to work shortly, where he'll attend the weekly board meeting with the other heads of sections.

"Ah, Dami." He huffs as he thinks and takes another bite of the hot porridge. "You were a very good leader. We're much paler replacements of you."

It was new to him, that the heads of the different sections of assassins were now in charge. It had been like that for four months now, but they keep running into new problems, such as budgeting and other things that Dami had previously handled without knowledge of anyone else.

His doorbell rings and Yongbok is startled from his thoughts. Setting the spoon down on the table mat, he stands and walks to the door.

"Who is it?" He asks, not yet opening the door.

"Post." They say calmly. "This parcel's too big to go through the letterbox."

That stops Yongbok. "I haven't ordered anything." He tells himself.

"Could you open the door please, sir?" She asks gently.

"Are you sure it's my parcel? I haven't ordered anything."

"It says here that it's a gift from someone who has sent it to you." He can sense the woman shrugging.

"Okay." He opens the door, ready to tell her that it was the wrong address, stopping abruptly when he sees the gun pointing at him. "What...?"

The woman grins and takes her low-pulled cap off, letting her hair drop.

"Handong?" He questions, recognising her as he raises his hands cautiously.

"The very person." She grins and fires the gun.

He doesn't have the chance to react, the bullet exiting the chamber with a weak bang and passing straight through his skull.

Yongbok's body flops backwards onto the floor and skids a little from the momentum of the bullet hitting him. He's dead and Handong nods.

She steps into his flat, walking past his body and starts to search through his study for anything useful to her.

Once she finds all she can, she leaves.

***

"Where are we heading?" JiU asks Siyeon as she drives. "I know rough details, but..."

"Lee Yongbok's home." She replies shortly and her expression twists sadly.

"What exactly is going on? It's not nice being in the dark." JiU continues to stare ahead at the road and Siyeon leans back in her seat to watch the rain travel across the window in unsteady streaks.

"He's been assassinated."

"What?" She exclaims. "That's why we're going to his flat? What are we going to do?"

"Some detective work." She replies. "His body was discovered by one of our company, who came over after they were concerned that he didn't turn up to the board meeting. The other heads have made sure the police won't interfere and we have a team from a private mortuary turning up."

"Will there be people there when we turn up?"

"Yup. The Forensics department we have at the company."

"We have a Forensics department?"

"You would be surprised at the amount of different departments we had, but Dami wanted to cover every possible situation. We're just there to see if we can make anything of it and make a report for the heads."

JiU slows to turn into a car park and parks in the first empty space.

Both of them zip their raincoats up to their chin and put their hoods up before stepping out into the downpour, both staggering as the wind beats them.

JiU links her arm through Siyeon's and they make their way to Yongbok's flat.

When they get outside of the front door, only the leader of Forensics, Mingi, is left.

"Afternoon." He greets breezily and nods his head.

"Good afternoon, sir." Siyeon smiles tightly. "What can you tell us?"

"Mr Lee was killed with one shot through the forehead that lodged in the back of his skull. It wasn't a snipe shot as the bullet didn't have enough velocity to completely pass through his head. His porridge is half-eaten, so he must have been answering the door. Do you want to take a look at the body?"

"Sure." Siyeon accepts and they follow him to the plastic sheeting draped over a human-shaped form on the floor. From beneath, splatters of blood peek out.

He leans down to draw the sheet back and a moment of revulsion passes through Siyeon as she sees his body.

She had seen bodies many times - People she had killed, people other assassins had killed. But seeing someone she knew, dead, is something completely different that moves an emotion alike to sadness through her and her eyes prick with tears.

From her glance at JiU, she knows that she feels the same way.

"Poor man." She says finally. "It's clearly an assassination. This crime is too clean for a petty murder. Do we know anything else yet, such as who may have ordered his murder?"

"Not as of yet." He frowns.

"Can I touch the body?" JiU asks suddenly.

"Er, sure." He hands her a pair of gloves and she puts them on as she crouches and puts her hand inside Yongbok's jacket.

"There's something here." She reports and takes a black envelope out from the jacket.

"Oh?" Mingi utters. "Can you open it?"

He and Siyeon watch as she slips her finger under the flap and opens it, pulling out a similarly black card that seems blank until halfway through pulling it out and seeing the silver writing.

When she fully pulls it out, a huff escapes Siyeon's lips. "Fucking Handong."

Embossed on the paper is a print of Handong's name in flowing, spiky writing.

"Handong?" Mingi questions.

She waves his question away. "It's something the heads of department are looking into."

"So that's the likely culprit. We haven't found anything else of interest. I'm staying here until the mortuary guys turn up."

"We'll just look around." Siyeon says. "We'll need to check for anything else suspicious."

JiU turns to Siyeon as they walk further into the flat. "What is Handong doing? How did she even know about Yongbok as well?"

Siyeon shrugs. "Your guess is as good as mine."


	32. Chapter 32

Later that evening, Siyeon heads to the supermarket for her mid-week shop.

There's not much on her shopping list, just small things like milk and fresh veg she needs to restock before her main shopping trip. And today, she's looking for a little comfort food to distract her mind.

It had been a hard and upsetting week, to say the least.

If Yongbok had really been assassinated by Handong, then the world could only get more dangerous if her aim was to target all the heads of department.

Some of the most important questions she has is how and why?

Did she know that they had taken over running the company from Dami? And how did she know that?

...Was there a spy?

With a sigh, she continues to push the trolley and picks up a bag of carrots before ticking it off her shopping list.

'Ice cream' was next on her list, the item she doesn't normally buy. So much so that she isn't sure what flavour to buy.

Moving into the freezer aisle, she hangs around in front of the vast row of ice cream, almost taking up all of one side of the aisle.

There are so many options of brands and flavours that she just closes her eyes and crab-walks side-to-side a little before stepping forward with her arm out to open a door that may be in front.

She opens the door and sets her eyes on cornettos and tubs of strawberry ice cream.

"Hmmm. Could be better." She reaches forward and takes a box of cornettos. Siyeon reverses out of the freezer and bumps into someone behind. "Oh, sorry!"

She turns to see who she contacted with and comes face to face with SuA.

"S-Siyeon?" SuA stutters, but neither of them pull away, frozen by the awkwardness of the situation.

The freezer emits cool waves towards them as they stay there.

Finally, she finds her sense and steps away, her face scrunching into confusion as to why she'd felt so frozen, standing there. "Why are you here?" Her words intentionally come out sharply.

"I...was just getting some ice cream." SuA replies in a pitifully meek voice. "I'm really sorry for bothering you."

Siyeon watches her face, first noticing the deep purple eyebags pulling at her eyes droopily. "How are you?" She asks gruffly to try and be a little polite.

"Tired." She answers.

Next, Siyeon's eyes find healing yellow bruises on SuA's face and a larger one snaking under the collar of her shirt.

SuA feels the burn of her gaze and looks away.

"Who did that?" Siyeon demands, protectiveness flaring in her heart.

"...Handong." SuA looks around nervously as if the woman would really appear if she said her name.

"She did that to you? What the fuck is wrong with the woman?"

SuA shrugs and steps back a little more.

It doesn't take long for the anger to fire back into her. "I really...never wanted to see you again." She says in a controlled tone.

"I know..." SuA's head drops and she hurries to step further away.

A spark of pity ignites in her hard heart, despite the rage she felt when remembering her betrayal, seeing how...fearful of her SuA seems.

So she takes the force out of her words with a conscious effort. "Want to get a drink together?"

"Oh, I don't want to impart on you. It would be too awk--"

"I insist." She smiles tightly. "Perhaps we could, you know, sort things out."

"I don't think it's a good idea." SuA trembles and sweat dots at her brow.

What is making her so scared? It couldn't just be her.

"I don't think...I should."

Siyeon frowns in concern, her eyes finding the bruises and abrasions again. "What did that woman do to you?"

"I promised I wouldn't see you again. And I am. She's bound to have someone watching me. She's bound to know that I've met you. She's b-bound to know. And when I go back, I'm dead!" She turns to run and abandon her trolley, but Siyeon catches her by the arm.

"Stay here." She says with forced calm and stares into her eyes. "Okay? Just stay." Once she's sure SuA won't immediately run away, her eyes search around for anyone watching them.

The other people in the aisle seem in a hurry to get what they need and leave, obviously seeing something going on between the two of them.

"Is there anyone you recognise?"

Her eyes dart around like a wounded animals. "N-no."

"Good. We will go for a drink after." She says firmly. "You go and pay for your shopping and I'll pay for mine. Don't worry, I'll keep my eyes on you. Okay?"

SuA sees she has no other choice and nods.

After paying, they meet up again, Siyeon pushing her shopping in the trolley and SuA carrying hers.

Without asking, Siyeon takes her bags from her and puts them in her trolley.

"Thank you."

"It's fine." Siyeon continues to keep an eye out. "Is Handong always like that?"

"Violent? Yeah. I think," SuA answers shyly. "She's kinda unhinged."

"No shit." Siyeon mutters and packs the bags into her car.

"You can drive?"

"Yeah. Can you?"

"No. I was going to walk home with the shopping."

Siyeon sighs. "Don't work yourself too hard."

***

Once outside the bar, SuA falters. "Are you sure no one's followed us?"

"I was keeping an eye out. No one was following us. C'mon." Siyeon leads her inside.

They sit at the bar and both order their first drinks.

"So." Siyeon starts first and wraps her hands around her glass of beer. "Perhaps you should start off with explaining? From the very start." She smiles again, but finds it hard to really put genuine warmth into it as the memories of betrayal drip through her brain like a river.

"Everything I told you about my family is true. They really were killed by Minhyuk. The only thing I lied about was the timing. Handong found me first, soon after my family was first killed."

"When did Dami recruit you?"

"Six months after Handong."

"Did she not know Handong had already...?"

"Well, Handong kept me hidden from anything to do with the company. She trained me privately and I never interacted with anyone from her company."

"Why did she do that?" The question is more towards herself because she knows SuA likely doesn't know the answer.

She shrugs helplessly. "I don't know. But then Dami found me. I told Handong after and she seemed...happy. Like it was a part of her plan."

Siyeon freezes. "So was she planning to infiltrate Dami's company all this time? A lot of this seems to have been planted on chance."

SuA shrugs again and sips her drink. "I really don't know."

"What did you get out of betraying me?" She asks, listening carefully for her answer.

"Freedom." SuA says soullessly. "Freedom from the company and her if I killed you." Her head droops. "And I failed, losing that freedom. I'm still part of the company and I really don't want to be any more."

Siyeon's heart reaches out for SuA, seeing the pain expressed with her body. It felt almost impossible to feel angry at this poor girl, misled by Handong. "I see." She manages in response. "And if you do something wrong, what does Handong do?"

"If anyone does anything wrong, she'll get them to fight her because she knows she'll win. It's humiliating, painful and so scary. The first time we fought was when she found out I...was in love with you. The second was after I visited you in the night."

It was impossible to feel angry at the girl, who was tied too strongly to the most ruthless assassin, much more than anyone would want to and she was stuck. "I can't feel mad at you." Siyeon admits. "If you've been controlled and abused by her so much."

She doesn't reply, her attention moving to the glass in front of her and she pokes at the condensation on the sides.

"I'm so sorry, SuA."

"None of this is your fault." She replies, a little stronger. "I was the one who did wrong to you."

"But you've been controlled."

"I should have been strong enough to fight back."

"That doesn't matter. She might have even killed you if you did. And, I'm glad you're still here." A genuine grin finds its way onto her lips. "Really. I'm happy you're here."

"I don't know if I'm happy." SuA doesn't look her in the eyes, but she looks in her direction. "I don't think it's worth being alive if I...if I'm still under the control of Handong."

"You can't say things like that." Siyeon says, taken back by how serious her words are and blanches.

"I can." SuA says fiercely. "I hate my life. I spend every day in fear of Handong, worrying if today will be the day she'll hurt me, the day she'll kill me. Worrying if I've done something wrong again. Not knowing what I'm doing anymore. Losing everything. If I've lost everything, then what is the point of me living?" She demands as tears start to fall down her cheeks. "I'm just...so tired." Her head falls into her hands.

"Hey," Siyeon puts her arm around the girl and gently pulls her into her side, rubbing her hand up and down her arm. "It's okay."

"But it's not!" She weeps. "I can't run away from this! I'm not free like you! I'm not free to make my own choices and do whatever I want to do. Of course you don't understand what I'm going through, how can you?"

Siyeon freezes. "Now you're just being mean." She says in a wounded voice as SuA's words attack her viciously. "I'm only trying to help you."

SuA pulls away and presses her palms against her face with a groan. "I'm really sorry..." She says. "I don't mean it. I just...all I seem to do is hurt people and push them away. I just push them away because...so I don't hurt them."

"Hey, hey." Siyeon pulls her in again, wrapping both arms around her heaving body. SuA is already crying. "I'm sorry I said that. No one can know your suffering but you. So no one has the right to say it's okay. I'm sorry. I will listen to you."

She weeps desperately, tears and snot wetting Siyeon's top. As she pats her head and back, Siyeon glances around the area. All other customers avoid eye contact, busying themselves with their own friends. That's fine with her.

It took many minutes before SuA stops crying and only sniffles weakly into her.

"Can I sit up?" She asks feebly, sounding worn out.

Siyeon loosens her arms and SuA sits back upright. "You look like you need something to pick you up." She observes her pale and bruised face in concern. "Whiskey?"

"Sure."

"A Scotch Whiskey please."

The bartender comes back with a stout glass of the brown liquid and Siyeon slides it over to SuA.

"Thanks." She takes the glass with a shaking hand and puts it to her lips. She winces as the strong liquid passes her lips. "Ugh."

A little colour returns to her face. Siyeon puts her hand close to SuA's and moves her fingers cautiously to touch hers. "I'll support you from now on. There's no conflict between us."

SuA snuffles. "You've forgiven me?"

She doesn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Thank you."

"Not a problem. But I want to know some things. Where do you live?"

"Er, in a flat. It's a block of flats where others from the company live."

"It's full of assassins?"

"Yes."

"So, if I asked you to move in with me..."

"Handong would hunt me down."

"So I can't do that for you." Siyeon really does want to help her.

"You don't have to do anything if it's too dangerous."

"I want to help you, SuA. And...I think I still. Have feelings for you." The admission hurts and she flushes, knowing it's true. She could have ignored SuA back at the restaurant, but she chose to, went out of her way to help the woman.

"Same." She mumbles and looks away. "But I think it'll be hard to stay in contact. Handong's...a hard person to deceive."

"We can't try? Like a secret phone, or...?" She's grasping at straws.

She shakes her head and takes a big gulp of the whiskey. "I could try and use a public telephone."

"I guess that's the best then." Siyeon agrees, not seeing many ways past the problem. "I don't want you to go out of your way if she hurts you that bad."

"I, can take it." Her voice shines with a small piece of new confidence, but even that feels a little false to Siyeon.

"I'll give you my number." She rips off a piece of napkin. "You should memorise and get rid of the evidence as soon as possible."

"Thank you." SuA takes the napkin once Siyeon writes her number with a pen from her jacket. "I'll wait for your call."


	33. Chapter 33

"You lost, you gotta drink!" Hyunjin's friend crows excitedly with a whoop and puts a hand to his mouth, amplifying the sound.

"Alright, alright." Hyunjin agrees with an easy smile and picks up the full shot glass with two fingers to top the contents down his numb throat. "There." His smile stretches easily.

"Next game!" Another friend calls . "Let's do 3-6-9."

Everyone else agrees.

Hyunjin looks down at his watch, frowning as the numbers and lines haze together. He screws his eyes closed then looks down again, seeing it was almost twelve. "Sorry everyone. I should leave now."

"Already?" One of them asks jokingly.

"I got work tomorrow." He shrugs. "I should head home now."

"Alright then, mate." He waves as Hyunjin stands unsteadily.

Everyone yells various parting words as he waves and heads out of the door with his wallet in hand, tucking it back into his blazer with slow movements. He struggles with the movement, his coordination affected by the alcohol coursing through his system.

"Man, I really had too much to drink." He complains and yawns as he tries to remember his way home.

When he comes to a crossroads, he stops and stands; swaying with the stiff breeze.

"Oh, no." He moans and puts a hand through his hair in irritation. "I can't remember."

As he stands there debating which way was the right one, he fails to notice or hear the person coming up behind him.

They stalk towards him silently, holding a gun loosely at their side in plain sight. They then grin on seeing how unsteady he is, knowing the easy target he will be.

"I should go right. I'm right-handed. It makes perfect sense." Hyunjin starts to walk towards the right road.

"Hey. Hwang Hyunjin." The person calls, ending their words with a small, breathless laugh.

He turns and squints down at her. "Do I know you?" He asks.

"You do." She raises the gun and he has no time to prepare for the bullet that tears through his throat and the second one fired instantly after, passing through his heart.

He falls to the ground, already dead before he hits it.

Handong's arm falls back to her side, the gun barrel too hot to replace it in her pocket. She then rifles through his clothes for anything that might be important, taking his phone and leaving an envelope in its place.

"All going as planned." She murmurs happily.

***

"Don't you look guilty?" Yoohyeon remarks once Siyeon dumps her shopping bags in the hallway. "You took way longer than just shopping."

"I," Siyeon pauses, but decides to tell the truth, knowing there was no point in hiding it from Yoohyeon. "Ran into SuA."

"Oh, really? Did running into her take up all of your time?"

"I invited her out for a drink." Siyeon replies with a shrug. "I decided there were things I needed to discuss with her. Listen, things are more fucked up with--"

"I thought you said you were never going to associate with her again." Yoohyeon says coldly. "She betrayed you."

"I know she did, Yoohyeon. But you didn't see how she looked. She was covered in bruises. Handong beat her half-to-death as punishment."

"She could have faked the bruises." Yoohyeon acts as the Devil's advocate as she continues to munch popcorn. "It's easy to do."

"Like I said, you didn't see her. She told me lots of things, including the truth. Why she betrayed me, the situation she's stuck in."

"Siyeon..." Yoohyeon starts disapprovingly.

Siyeon turns away and starts to pack the shopping away, feeling the lecture coming from the woman.

Yoohyeon sets down the bowl of popcorn and stares at her. "I don't think you should trust her. Why is she telling you all this so willingly? Is it a coincidence that you simply 'bumped' into each other? "

"Your point is?" She slams the cupboard doors closed and rolls her eyes.

"Stay away from her, and you won't get hurt again. What did she want from you?"

"Nothing." She turns to her, emphasising the word. "I was the one who wanted to speak to her and help her. She was actually scared of me and didn't want to stay."

She arches an eyebrow and crosses her arms. "Fine. I just want what's best for you. Ignore me if you want." She then fixes her with a guilt-tripping look.

"I really, really understand that, Yoohyeon." Siyeon embraces her to let her know she wasn't angry with her. "I'm just trying to follow what my gut is telling me. And there's not really many ways to help SuA, not without declaring war on Handong."

"Hmm." She frowns but reciprocates her hug. "Will you tell the company about SuA?"

"Do you really think I would? This is something I'll be keeping between you, her and myself."

"Fine." She shrugs.

Siyeon's phone starts to ring loudly.

"Who's that?" Yoohyeon asks. "It's a little late to be calling you."

She takes her phone out and looks at the name. "It's Heejin. Head of Rookie Assassins." She clarifies and answers the call. "Hello?"

"Are you available?" She asks immediately in a harried tone.

"Yes. What's the problem?"

"Hyunjin. He's been found dead."

"Dead?" Siyeon exclaims, feeling a sick feeling pierce through her body that fills her with dread.

"Yes. I've already sent word to the Forensics team, so they're on their way. I'd also like you to be on scene with Gahyeon as you both live the closest. Can you do that?"

"Of course, Heejin!" She agrees.

"I'll send you the address and arrange a meeting for tomorrow so you can both tell me what you know." She hangs up and Siyeon locks eyes with Yoohyeon.

"One of the Heads has just been found dead."

"I gathered." Yoohyeon winces with a pained expression. "What did she want you to do?"

"I'm to go and see the scene." She says, turning back to the door to slip her coat and shoes on.

"Be careful, won't you?" She warns in worry.

"Of course, Yoohyeon." She grins, though her mood is dour. "I can take care of myself. As she opens the door and leaves, her smile fades back into a grim line. "Another one dead." She mutters.

***

"Evening, Gahyeon." Siyeon rubs her hands together as she walks to meet Gahyeon, who is just exiting a car several metres down from the scene.

She glances at her watch. "It's almost morning, really." She replies wryly and her head turns towards the warning tape further up the road. "Another Head killed, then."

"Seems it." Siyeon takes the lead in walking towards the immobile form covered in a pale sheet. They stop beside it and look down with unreadable faces.

"It's sad." Gahyeon comments in a melancholy tone. "He's dead and he probably doesn't even know why."

"I see what you mean." She sighs and looks in the direction of Mingi, smiling grimly at him. "Can we look at the body?"

"Sure." He hands two pairs of gloves to them and they snap them on.

Siyeon crouches and lifts the corner of the sheet, wincing quickly before relaxing her facial features. "Nasty." She pulls it back further so that Gahyeon can see, looking away for a moment to blink away her tears.

She flinches, seeing how there was a large, bloody cavity where his throat was and another one in his chest. "It seems so unnecessarily violent."

"You don't say. With these wounds, he was probably dead in seconds."

"This is too messy for an assassin." Gahyeon reasons.

"Yet, they've hit key places. They aimed to kill, they knew how to use a gun. So...I think it was an assassin. And going by Yongbok's murder..." She trails off as she starts to search his clothing, finding a black envelope in one of the pockets.

"What's that?"

"A calling card." Siyeon sighs and tears it open carefully, taking out a black card with silver writing on it.

"Handong!" Gahyeon exclaims in a hushed whisper.

"She's trying to kill them all off." Siyeon says and stands, replacing the sheet over him. "Perhaps she thinks it will blow the company into disarray."

"Sounds solid." Gahyeon frowns as Siyeon hands the card off to Mingi. "But why?"

"She seems to have an agenda against the company. And me." Siyeon readily reveals. "Long story short, she also killed my parents."

Her eyes widen. "She killed your parents? Oh my God, Siyeon." Her hand reaches out to squeeze her hand. "This is bad."

"Yes. If...she manages to kill the remaining two Heads, we need to be prepared for the worst case scenario."

"You mean..."

"Elect leaders in the event that the last two die, so that the company can still run. From now on, it's a race to protect everyone and kill Handong."


	34. Chapter 34

"Miss Heejin, Miss Haseul, you both need security. It doesn't matter if you're both accomplished assassins." Siyeon attempts to convince the two Heads as the four of them sit in Dami's old office.

"She's already killed two skilled assassins." Gahyeon adds. "She can do it again, no matter how good you are."

Heejin frowns in discontent. "This woman...She is ruining us!"

They nod quietly.

"Fine. Protection seems like a sound suggestion. We'll arrange something for ourselves."

Siyeon breathes a sigh of relief. "Wonderful. That's the end of our report."

"Thank you both for heading out on short notice. I'll make sure you two are informed of the funeral dates."

***

"Have you done something bad?" Handong asks neutrally as SuA opens the door to her flat and lugs in her shopping bags with one hand.

"O-of course not!" She denies, starting violently as Handong appears from her bedroom. 

How did she get in? Was she snooping? There wasn't anything to find - She got rid of the note with Siyeon's number on days ago.

"Good. I need not remind you to stay loyal to me. You know the consequences."

"Yes, Handong."

Handong takes the bags from her and sets them on the table. The action would be kind in any normal situation, but it just put SuA more on edge.

"I notice you don't talk to the others much."

"I don't know them well. I've spent most of my time undercover."

"Viable point." She accepts with a nod. "But I think you should start to make friends. Perhaps they can help you become stronger. Some of them are very nice." she shrugs and switches on the main lights as if it was an ordinary conversation and SuA wasn't trembling in fear.

When SuA doesn't reply, she walks up to her and lays a strong hand on her shoulder. "You should answer your leader. Or things may not go the way you want, hmm? I really wouldn't want to see you get hurt." Her mouth smiles but her eyes stay fixed on hers.

"Yes, Handong. Sorry, Handong."

"That's okay, SuA. Just keep in mind...I always know where you are." Handong walks past her and out of the door.

Shivers run down SuA's spine and she chokes down unwanted tears before closing the door with a slam.

Her legs collapse beneath her like broken wood and she ends up with her head laying against the door, kneeling on the mat. Her shivers won't stop and gasps of breath come out of her mouth, the worst feeling penetrating her gut again and again without respite.

"She knows." SuA whispers in horror. "She knows. She's going to hurt me..." Her eyes are wide and unblinking. "I never should have agreed to go with her." She curls into herself and sobs quietly, each one hurting her chest as she tries to let them out without loud, scraping breaths so no one knew she was crying. No one but her. She has to keep this to herself. She has to bear the pain alone.

"I can't take this for much longer..." SuA tells herself, knowing she should stay strong.

Siyeon is going to rescue her.

"I don't know how long I can hold on."

***

She checks her watch and walks into the restaurant from the vast car park, immediately grinning at the hovering waitress.

"Good evening, ma'am!" She greets brightly. "Do you have a reservation?" Her eyes pass over Siyeon's attempt at fancy clothing -- A cheap, dark teal trouser suit and her black Doc Martens. A mix of practicality and smart. Yoohyeon had offered her heels, but Siyeon vehemently refused the dangerous-looking things.

"I believe the table is reserved under Jo and Jeon." She grins cheesily at the waitress again, her nervousness dragged out through the smile.

"Let me just check that." She walks behind the desk and looks down at an open book there. "Ah, here it is. Reservation for eight o'clock in one of our private rooms. If you follow me, I'll escort you there." She starts to move off down a well-lit corridor separate to the main restaurant.

Siyeon can already see which room they were heading to, obvious by the beefy men standing tall outside of the door.

The waitress stops abruptly outside and Siyeon walks right into her. She rights Siyeon carefully with a hand at her waist and shoulder.

"Sorry." Siyeon flushes.

"That's quite alright, ma'am. Here you are."

"Thank you." Siyeon nods and turns to the men as the waitress leaves. "Are they already inside?"

"Yes, Siyeon." The beefiest one says, no formality to his words. They were on good terms with each other and she winks at him.

"You two here as protection?" Siyeon asks the obvious.

"Yeah." The other one says. "We aren't the only ones. There's more assassins inside."

"Wow. Thank goodness they're taking their safety seriously." She sighs in a little relief, knowing it would be much harder for Handong to try and kill them.

She opens the door into the wide room. In the centre, a circular table takes up most of the space.

Heejin and Haseul sit together at the side of the table furthest from her. Gahyeon sits next to Heejin and JiU next to Haseul, raising her eyebrows at Siyeon brightly. Behind them were four more assassins, these ones of much slender build.

"Evening, everyone." Siyeon greets them and sits on the chair next to JiU.

"Good evening, Siyeon." The two Heads greet.

Heejin looks over at her as she sits next to her. "I've already ordered something as a starter for us all and our main meal. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. Is it just us five meeting tonight?" She passes a look at the other assassins.

"Yes. You three are the only ones with the most information about the assassins. We can trust everyone here. Our safety is pertinent." Haseul nods coolly.

"Of course." She agrees empathetically and her fingers drum nervously on the table.

"Let's get down to business, shall we?" Heejin links her fingers together and holds their eyes.

"I'm sure that Mr Lee and Mr Hwang were murdered by the same person. Both had an envelope on their person with Handong's signature." Siyeon starts.

"What could her reasons for this be?" Heejin muses.

"But more importantly, how did she know where to find them and that they were the Heads of department in the company?" Haseul clarifies with a conspiratorial eyebrow raise. "You all realise what I'm suggesting."

"A spy." Gahyeon supplies simply. "That's the only regular source of information, unless she's managed to bug the place."

"And she'd need a spy to bug the place." JiU adds.

"I agree." Heejin replies. "Would it be worth it to try and locate them?"

"How so?" Haseul asks the difficult questions, her tone demanding reasonable answers.

"Keeping tabs on each employee." Siyeon starts off, knowing that the idea wasn't enough.

"We're suspecting everyone here, so how do we keep tabs on everyone?"

Siyeon shrugs helplessly. "We could just limit the amount of information each assassin has to important things in the company."

"The damage has already been done. If they knew who Lee and Hwang were, they'll definitely know who we are." Haseul's eyes narrow, but then strikes a small smile. "It's hard, isn't it, all of you? This is how careful we have to be, running the kind of operation we are."

Siyeon replicates her smile. "Man, it's hard." She laughs a little with JiU and Gahyeon to ease the tension.

The door opens and the same waitress from earlier enters with a silver platter underneath a spherical lid on a wide, black tray. "The seafood platter is here." She announces and walks over to their table, standing closest to Siyeon as she bends to set the platter down on the table.

Haseul's oddly suspicious gaze passes to the waitress as she completely sets the dish down and puts a hand on the lid. She pauses as if waiting and they all watch her patiently.

Siyeon's stomach rumbles, as if urging her to lift the lid.

In one move, she lifts the lid. Underneath is revealed to be an innocent-looking seafood platter. It's laden with prawns and shrimps piled into a small, artful mound, surrounding by calamari and several small dishes filled with a dip.

Heejin sits back in her seat as if put at ease. Siyeon notes that both of them are on edge. Their lives are in danger. No wonder they're so tense.

"Enjoy!" The waitress smiles. Her hand reaches into the mound.

Pulling out a gun.

"Oh shit..."

In the split-second it takes for her to take the weapon, she already has it poised at the women.

With no hesitation, she fires and Gahyeon leaps to protect them, instantly crumpling.

Siyeon lunges at her in fury, her body shaking with adrenaline. The woman tries to fire the gun at her, but she grasps the hot barrel and rips it out of her grasp, throwing it away.

She feels her belt for her knife, fumbling when she can't find them.

It's not there.

She remembers the waitress righting her by the waist, realising she must have pilfered it then.

Giving herself no time to mourn over the stolen blade, she hits the struggling woman with a single blow to the temple and she falls to the floor in a daze.

Haseul, Heejin and JiU stumble out of their chairs, seeming almost confused at the turn of events.

"Gahyeon!" JiU cries and crouches out of Siyeon's sight. Letting the other assassins handle the dazed woman, Siyeon jogs over and crouches next to her.

"Gahyeon..." She mumbles, watching as Gahyeon breathes in feebly, eyes glassy with falling tears. The bullet hit her in the neck. It doesn't look positive.

Gahyeon struggles to speak, mouth gaping with unspoken messages as she relaxes and stills. Her eyes continue to leak tears down her face and through her hair.

"Gahyeon." JiU weeps, crying desperately for her best friend. Siyeon shakily reaches a hand out to take hers and grips it comfortingly.

"Siyeon, JiU! Escort us out of here!" Haseul snaps as she and Heejin run hand-in-hand to the door.

Heejin turns the handle and stops. "It's locked. Do you have something to open it?"

Siyeon finds the gun she threw and walks over to the door, shooting the lock out. Before leaving with them, she walks over to the subdued and bloody waitress and rips her knife from the woman's belt.

"Two of you keep her under control and the other two follow me. We're getting Heejin and Haseul out of here." They order the remaining assassins.

They look to each other and nod. Two of them release their hold on the woman and follow Siyeon out of the door.

The first thing that greets them are the dead bodies of the assassins outside and a flash of guilt passes through her. From a look at the single slash penetrating their throats, neither had a chance.

Heejin winces but continues on as the two other assassins walk out in front, all holding their guns, all on edge.

Siyeon follows them, JiU's weeping the only sound and they speed-walk out of the corridor. The main dining area is deserted, evidently abandoned in a hurry.

Maybe they heard the gunshot. Maybe they were threatened.

Either way, they are the only ones left. It even feels as if they were the only ones left alive in the world.

"Out through the front?" One woman asks.

"If you think it's safe." Haseul nods.

"Help me scout." The two women head out together into the night and scan the lamp-lit area.

Siyeon turns to JiU, resting her hands on the oman's stiff shoulders. "Hey, hey, JiU." She starts softly. "Look at me."

Red eyes flick up at her. "She's dead, Siyeon."

"I know, I know." Siyeon brings her in to hug her. "But we need to all be strong to make it out of this. Once we make it out of here, weep all you need to." The speech mirrors the one she told SuA all that time ago on her first mission.

The two women shoot a thumbs up, silently telling them that the way was clear.

Haseul steps forward and they all exit.

Five metres from the two assassins in the empty car park, disaster strikes.

One woman sees something on the rooftop and starts to open her mouth in a cry of warning as a blade slices through the air at her, plunging through the open orifice and out of the back of her neck.

Before she even falls, another blade comes for the second assassin. She turns, managing to block it with her gun before firing off a shot.

Siyeon looks up for the killer and forces herself in front of the two Heads, her gun also trained on the black shape jumping from the roof.

She squeezes the trigger, but her shot misses as they roll across the gravel and spring to their feet, immediately focused on the lone woman. She doesn't have a chance. They fire their gun and she collapses.

"Who are you?" Siyeon yells aggressively, hoping JiU also has her weapon raised. Her aim is right over her heart.

"Shoot now, ask later!" Haseul hisses urgently.

Siyeon obeys and shoots, but the woman avoids the bullet.

"You're too obvious." They chuckle, instantly recognisable as a woman. "You tense up when you're about to shoot."

Rattled, Siyeon empties the chamber of bullets at the woman. They all seem to miss her. That can't be.

"Bullet-proof vest." Haseul supplies. "Keep her occupied while we slip away."

"Yes, ma'am."

The woman watches their exchange silently, even as blood drips from a cut on her cheek. There is enough light from the lamps to see her amused smile.

"You're not making it out of here alive." Siyeon drops the empty gun and draws her viciously-spiked knife.

"Back at you and those three beautiful ladies behind." She laughs again and drops her hood with one hand. "None of you will be making it out alive." After punctuating those words, she raises the gun again, aiming for Siyeon.

"Handong!" Siyeon screams furiously and lunges for her, eyes blazing with ferocity. "How dare you--" She slices with the knife for her, aiming to kill.


	35. Chapter 35

"Handong!" Siyeon screams furiously and lunges for her, eyes blazing with ferocity. "How dare you--" She slices with the knife for her face.

In that moment, she seems unprepared for Siyeon's anger-fuelled attack and doesn't block the move. The knife carves a red line from beneath her right eye and across her face to her ear.

She grins, as if enjoying the pain in some sadistic way. "Feisty!" She comes forward with her own attack that Siyeon evades, all senses on high-alert.

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees the three running away, towards the park exit. When Handong's gun threatens to blow her head off, she turns her full attention back and pushes the gun away. It fires emptily into the sky.

"You're not my target here, Siyeon." Handong tells her as blood trickles from her mouth. She kicks Siyeon away and puts a hand to her abdomen with a groan. "You made it hard for me."

So some of the bullets did hit her. Siyeon runs forward again, ready to deliver the death thrust to her throat. It's one of the rare chances.

"Not yet," She growls and unleashes a thick red smoke from her sleeve, hiding her from sight.

The smoke doesn't stop her and she charges through.

It smells funny.

Siyeon plummets to her knees as her legs give out and she shouts in frustration at the detrimental effect of the smoke. "Shit, no!"

As the smoke clears, she uses her arms to pull herself across the carpark. Her arm muscles are starting to give out. It hurts to feel so helpless.

Handong leaps for the fleeing women.

Haseul turns, letting go of Heejin's hand to punch the attacking woman in the face. She cries out in pain, but she steps into stance quickly.

Siyeon tries to reach out for them, yet anything but her sight refuses to obey desperate commands, flopping lifelessly when she tries anything.

With a grunt, she exerts concentration to focus on even moving one leg, moving a finger, but nothing works.

Haseul knees her in the side of the leg, Handong then catches her leg and yanks it upwards so she loses balance.

As she flails and loses her impassive mask, Handong shoots her through the chest.

She falls.

Heejin and JiU have already gone on ahead. Handong gives chase gleefully.

Gradually, her legs start to twitch uncontrollably and she clenches her shaking fists and kicks her quivering legs.

"Handong!" Siyeon shrieks and gets to her knees, almost faceplanting immediately as her arms struggle to take her weight. "Fuck." She curses and stands, her heavy arms out to balance.

Heejin screams, the bloodcurdling sound passing through her ears, sounding far away.

Siyeon walks forward and trips, falling again. Persevering silently, she stands again, taking her fallen knife in hand.

Handong returns into the light, taking her time to walk to Siyeon. Blood is splattered all over her front, staining her black and grey clothing. The blood covers her face too, mingling with her own blood.

"You failed." She taunts, seeing Siyeon struggling to stay on her feet. "They're dead."

"You are the sickest--"

"Whatever." Handong dismisses with a roll of her eyes. Her nonchalance can't hide the way she limps unsteadily and sways on her feet. "You're not going to leave here alive."

Siyeon glares up at her, coming closer. Her hands are slippery with sweat and she clenches the knife with venom, her eyes imagining how Handong would look with her neck sliced open.

"I will." She stops right in front of her, unable to avoid breathing in the smell of coppery blood.

Her hand pushes with the knife to Handong's neck. Handong stops it by holding Siyeon's shaking hands. The point hovers only centimetres away and Siyeon starts to use her body weight to push down.

Only a little more.

Yet she still can't find the strength to push it further, to pierce that pearl-white skin and make her bleed.

The tip nicks her throat and Handong headbutts her.

Unable to protect herself, she flops to her knees and stays there, her head bowed for the inevitable.

Handong lays her hand on Siyeon's head, warmth leaking through her hand. "No one will win tonight then." She concedes. "But I achieved what I wanted to. And you couldn't stop me."

"Don't rub it in." She says bitterly as angry tears flow from her eyes.

Handong crouches in front of her, taking her chin in hand, forcing Siyeon to look at her.

Handong wipes the girl's tears away with her fingers. Just like her mother always would.

"I'll see you around." She releases her and her footsteps recede.

Sobs rock her exhausted body and Siyeon looks to Haseul's sad body, eyelids half-closed.

"I'm so sorry." She apologises sincerely, not able to take her eyes off the frail body that used to hold a living, breathing soul.

Siyeon wipes her tears again and takes her phone out. It takes several moments before she finds the right number to call.

"Hello. I need the Forensics team to my location. Haseul and Heejin are dead."

"Dead?" The person on the other side exclaims. "Understood. I'll assemble the teams now."

She drops the phone on the ground and slams her fist into the gravel. Loose chunks crunch into her skin and she winces but does it again. "My. Fucking. Fault." Siyeon reiterates with each punch, repeating until her knuckles weep blood.

***

JiU sits opposite Siyeon at the table, one of many in the company cafeteria.

Her face is heavily bruised, one eye is covered with a bandage and an arm is in a cast.

JiU clears her throat uncomfortably. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." She dismisses. "I should be asking how you are. What exactly happened? If you don't mind me asking."

"Heejin made me hide. I think she knew what was going to happen. Handong still found me," She shivers as she recalls. "But she didn't kill me."

"We weren't the targets. And she could barely walk after I shot her." Siyeon shrugs. "But we're still alive."

"And all of them aren't. Well, Gahyeon's in a coma, but that isn't much better than being dead." JiU meets eyes, both of their eyes holding unexpressed pain. "They're gone and we're still here. Wouldn't...wouldn't everything just be better if we were all gone? No humans left to feel all these bloody complicated feelings?"

"True." Siyeon laughs then straightens her face. "That's not going to happen just yet. In several hundred years, we'll wipe ourselves out. But while we're still alive, let's live our best life, we only have one." She reached her hand out to squeeze JiU's. "Gahyeon's still alive, and that's what matters. I believe she's strong enough to wake up, don't you? We have to hold out hope."

"Of course you're right. I shouldn't have said that." She grins tiredly. "Want to get a drink tonight?"

"We can watch a film at my place with Yoohyeon. Buy some snacks. But no alcohol. You're taking painkillers and I don't want anything bad to happen if they mix. Agreed?"

"Agreed." She sighs.

***

Siyeon and JiU are the last Senior assassins to arrive at the company meeting room, already filled with other Seniors.

No one sits at the head of the tale, inferring that no one wants to take responsibility just yet. But that is what this meeting is about.

"Er, welcome everyone." One of the girls stands and touches the tips of her dyed blonde hair. "This meeting is about deciding the future of the company and who could be running it. I want us all to share our opinions. Please do not interrupt anyone while they're speaking and let anyone finish their point. I don't want anyone getting angry. This will be a civil meeting."

Various heads nod and she sits, waving her hand to indicate that people should start conversation.

A man with a darkened chin of stubble raises his hand first. He looks around the faces. His locks of greasy hair flicking around with the movement. "From what I understand, Miss Dami and the four Heads were murdered by a rival company. What I want to understand is why."

The blonde girl starts to speak. "Matthew, that's not related--"

Siyeon interrupts. "The one who killed them is after the company and myself."

"You?" He sneers. "What makes you important enough to warrant everyone being killed? Last I heard, you'd been begging for ages to become a Senior."

Siyeon's nostrils flare but she keeps her temper. "The woman killed my family. And now, she wants to kill me. But, don't interrupt me Matthew, I think she has a link to Dami, which is why she is so intent on bringing the company down."

"A link to Dami?" Someone else questions while raising their hand. "I think that makes a lot of sense if she's trying to get rid of the company."

"Who is 'she'?" Another asks.

"Handong. She's an assassin and the head of a rival company." JiU explains.

"Dami certainly seemed to trust you with lots of sensitive material." Someone else comments snootily.

"Because I have a connection to Handong, whether I like it or not." Siyeon retorts. "On the topic of leadership, we should have a small group of us elected."

"Shouldn't that have warranted in her not telling you? Like, in case you went out of your way to try and kill Handong because you have such a grudge?" Matthew sniffs annoyingly.

Dami knew what I am capable of." Siyeon finally snaps. "Besides, she never had any knowledge of Handong's involvement in the whole mess several months ago until Handong killed her."

"Cool it." The blonde warns them. "But you make a valid point, Siyeon. I think there should be a small team of us running this company, and Siyeon should be included."

"That's ridiculous!" Matthew explodes. "I don't trust her one bit. She let Heejin and Haseul be slaughtered! No one knows what happened there except her."

"Do you really think I willingly let Handong kill them?" Siyeon stands. "I am loyal to this company and I did everything in my power to try and prevent what happened!" She storms out, her chest heaving with the vented fury.

She paces in the corridor outside of the room, her arms crossed tightly and her brow furrowed.

"How dare he accuse me of such things!" Siyeon is unwillingly to calm, her fists itching for a fight. Or perhaps they itched because they were still healing.

Gradually, Siyeon's anger subsides like a river after a storm and shame runs through her blood like a growing fire.

"I shouldn't have got so angry." Her conscience tells her and she voices the words.

With embarrassed hesitation, she walks back into the room and takes her seat again, aware of the many eyes on her.

"Sorry for my interruption." She apologises coolly. "I take back what I said to you, Matthew. You had the right to question me."

He accepts with a curt nod and looks away.

"Thank you, Siyeon." The blonde girl accepts with a half-smile. "I understand some people lack tact in their words and that can easily rub anyone up the wrong way."

JiU snorts, disguising it into a sneeze.

Ashamed it took her so long to recognise the girl, Siyeon realises that she is Dahyun, one of the coolest Seniors ever to exist who always found herself to be the mediator of arguments and one of the fairest judges.

"In your absence, we decided that it is best to elect a group of six of us to handle all future decisions. I have already made it clear I want you in the group."

Siyeon feels a burst of warmth for her.

"Thank you, Dahyun. I will accept any role humbly." She grins. "How are we electing?"

"A poll-box vote. Each person votes once. Everyone must vote and the six highest voted will be elected." She warns with a stern glance around the sober faces. She was practically their leader already.

Everyone nods and she claps her hands together.

"Good! Everyone's free to leave."


	36. Chapter 36

"You're back. Anything interesting happen today?" Yoohyeon looks up from her laptop as Siyeon enters the flat tiredly.

"Meh." She shrugs. "We had a meeting and I got into a minor disagreement with another Senior."

"Minor?" Yoohyeon notes her exaggeration of the word with a disapproving expression. "Siyeon..."

"Everything's cool!" Siyeon reassures with a beam and sits at the table. She peers around to try and see what Yoohyeon is doing on her laptop.

"Don't worm your way out of it." Yoohyeon swivels the laptop away from her sight. "You can only see, once you've told me what happened."

"Yoohyeon..." She sulks.

Yoohyeon fixes her with a stern stare.

"Fine, fine." She concedes. "He basically just accused me of being a spy, etc. I got angry, he got angry, shouted at each other. Then made up with hugs and kisses."

"Seriously?"

"Nope. I apologised and he was just like," She imitates Matthew's curt nod and looks away. "Whatever." She rolls her eyes.

"That was a low blow of them." She scowls. "What else happened?"

"We decided to vote for the leaders, but I was an automatically appointed one."

She raises her eyebrows in surprise. "You, a leader?"

"That's me." She flashes a corny grin. "Now can I see your laptop?"

"Sure." She turns it to face Siyeon.

An editing app is open and the picture she's editing is one of Siyeon.

It's night time and Siyeon walks arm-in-arm with Yoohyeon. A camera is looped around Yoohyeon's neck and one hand cradles it gently.

Siyeon inhales the chilly air, enjoying it's freshness after weeks of being cooped up studying for mid-terms.

"Nice night." She comments and squeezes Yoohyeon's arm.

"You don't say." She looks over her shoulder across the light-lit water. Her eyes flash with ideas.

"I can see the cogs turning!" Siyeon jokes and they stop. "What do you want to take a photo of?"

"I was thinking..." She trails off, staring hard at the water below. "If you lean on the railing and look out across the water."

Siyeon does as she says, clasping her hands together and leaning her forearms on the railing. The light hitting the water reflects softly on her face and Yoohyeon nods, taking position a metre or so down the railing from her.

"Smile." She orders after a few clicks of her camera and Siyeon pulls her lips back a little bit, evoking a half-smile that could be seen as wistful in the low light. "Awesome." She murmurs. "Look at me."

Siyeon turns her head and gives her the same smile, eyes staring into the lens as wind whips delicately through her hair.

"Done." Yoohyeon straightens and gives her a thumbs up.

Siyeon stands. "Got some good ones?"

"Hope so." She looks at her phone. "C'mon, let's get to the cinema!" She joins back with Siyeon in burst of energy that never subsides throughout the evening.

"But you took those ages ago."

"I haven't been able to get around to editing them until now. What do you think?"

"It's me." She commented, a smile forming on her lips as Yoohyeon looks at her in frustration. 

"Siyeon." She warns with a pout. "Can't you be nice?"

"I love it." Siyeon tells her honestly. "The way you've balanced this composition and how my face is central focus is honestly so cool to look at. I particularly like the use of natural light." She looks at her again. "That's my honest opinion."

"Any improvements?"

"You should get a better model than me." She jokes.

"I like photographing you." Yoohyeon protests. "You won't believe how photogenic you are."

"You're right. I can't. But I'll take your word for it." A grin splits her lips as Yoohyeon smiles back before breaking into a long yawn. "You're tired. We should both get to bed now, don't you think?"

Yoohyeon looks forlornly at her computer.

"Come on, you can edit the pictures tomorrow. Sleep is important!"

***

Something warm touches Siyeon's exposed arm and she jolts awake, staring into the silhouette at her bedside. "Shit, girl!" She hisses angrily, recognising the woman.

"Sorry, I just--" Her voice apologises profusely.

Siyeon sits up irritably and turns on her phone torch. She then lies the phone on the bed so that the torch faces the ceiling, illuminating the room in light and shadows. "I don't want Yoohyeon to notice anything." She says in explanation. "Now...what are the fuck are you doing here?"

A stiff breeze comes in through the open window and Siyeon cuddles her duvet closer.

"Handong's planning something." SuA starts anxiously.

"Well, no shit." Siyeon rolls her eyes. "She's literally murdered the leaders of our company. I would be dumb if I didn't think she was up to something."

"It's bigger than that. She wants to get rid of your company, and kill everyone..." SuA trails off, her eyes pleading with Siyeon.

"Uh-huh. I know that too. You must have risked coming here for a reason bigger than that." Her eyes narrow as she watches SuA.

"She's been killing solo assassins all over the city. Soon, there'll be no one left but your company and hers. If she succeeds, then she'll have no competition to becoming the most powerful assassination company."

Siyeon's eyebrow raises. "She's been killing independent assassins?" She scowls. "That bloody woman." Her attention turns back to SuA. "Does she know where you are?"

N-no." She looks unsure. "She shouldn't. I mean, I made sure I wasn't followed."

Siyeon's eyes crease in concern. "I will tell the company this as soon as possible. Do you know any more details?"

"I heard her say that seventy-five percent of solo assassins in this city have already been eradicated."

"Holy shit." Siyeon's mouth opens as she recognises the immanency of the situation. "Shit. Have any of the deaths been reported by the news?"

"No."

"So police won't be searching for suspicious activity." She murmurs to herself. "God, that blasted woman..."

"I just came to tell you that...I thought it would be worth the risk."

"Thank you for that, SuA." She fixes the girl with a sincere smile and motions her to come closer, losing her initial irritation.

SuA steps nearer and Siyeon embraces her from the bed. "I'm sorry..." She murmurs into her abdomen as she rubs SuA's back. "I'm sorry I can't help you more."

SuA pulls away and looks at her with a sad smile, her hand catching Siyeon's. "Please don't be sorry. I'll wait for you."

She turns to leave, but Siyeon refuses to let go of her hand. "Please. Just...stay for a bit."

"I..." She starts to refuse but stops and reduces her distance to Siyeon again. "Siyeon. I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Siyeon shakes her head and SuA embraces her again, leading the hug as she lies onto the bed beside her. "We can pretend that everything's fine."

"When it really isn't." She adds in a melancholy voice and sighs into Siyeon's neck, the warm breath pleasing.

They lay like that, breaths mingling, their foreheads touching and arms around each other.

SuA's eyes watch Siyeon as she does the same, wondering what the woman was feeling. They are half-lidded, pupils gleaming in the torchlight.

Cautiously, Siyeon shifts her chin closer, using her lips to close the gap between them.

She closes her eyes, only able to feel SuA's heat against her as the woman returns the kiss with passion.

For a second, they came away from each other, shy smiles pulling at their lips and their hands locked in a sweaty grip.

SuA laughed softly before pulling closer again and wrapping Siyeon in a tight hug. "I missed this." She tells her quietly. "I missed you especially."

The admission made Siyeon's heart pump harder and her throat clench as she blinked away sudden tears that sparked at her eyes. The tears flowed harder as she remembered the way Handong had treated her.

"Are you crying?" SuA's husky voice giggled as Siyeon sniffled and held a hand against her cheek. "It's okay, Siyeon."

Embarrassed at her tears, Siyeon buried her head in SuA's chest. "I don't want to lose you."


	37. Chapter 37

Siyeon wakes, instantly remembering SuA's visit the night before. She must have fallen asleep in SuA's arms because she doesn't remember her leaving.

Stifling a yawn, she gets out of bed with a feeling of dread. It's a school day, meaning she'll have to skip some lessons.

Handong was mass-killing assassins. For no reason other than what seemed to be forcing them to confront each other.

The first thing she does is call Dahyun.

"What's up, Siyeon?" She asks cheerfully.

Siyeon rubs a hand over her face. "I think we should call a meeting. As soon as possible."

"Right." She accepts calmly. "How come?"

"SuA came to see me last night. She's told me some...disturbing things that you all need to hear and discuss about."

"Okay, I'll contact the others. Should I set the meeting for nine? Don't you have sch--"

"That's fine. See you soon." Siyeon hangs up abruptly, putting the idea of school out of her mind. It makes her feel guilty that she is deciding to truant from school when she promised Dami that she would try harder in education. "This is more important." She reminds herself with a shake of her head.

She leaves the room and sees Yoohyeon in her room on her phone as she passes by. "Morning." She attempts a light tone but fails, sounding more sorrowful.

Yoohyeon looks up. "Good morning. You don't look good."

She sighs and leans on the doorframe. "Um..." She's reluctant to say SuA's name. "There's been a meeting called this morning. It sounds kinda serious."

"Oh no." She frowns, putting her phone down. "This morning?"

"Nine. It's about eight now, so I'll be leaving soon."

"I hope everything turns out alright. You want me to make you breakfast?"

"Nah. I'll just take something to eat on the bus ride there. I'll obviously be missing some lessons."

She nods. "I understand. I hope it goes well."

***

Siyeon walks into the meeting room, seeing Dahyun was already there.

"Morning." She greets and sits opposite.

She looks up at her and grins. "Morning, the others are still on their way."

"Cool." She bites her lip nervously.

Luckily, someone enters and breaks the mood. JiU enters, immediately noting the uncomfortable look on Siyeon's face. "How are you both doing?"

"Good." Siyeon mumbles and JiU flumps down onto the seat next to her with high energy. "How do you have so much energy in the morning?"

"I eat food." She grins cheekily. "And...Gahyeon's awake!" The woman pulls her into a side hug as a twin smile crosses Siyeon's face.

"That's wonderful!" Siyeon tells her joyfully, heart bursting with the happiness that her friend was still alive. Their smiles stay fixed on their faces.

The conversation dies out as other people enter the room and sit at the table.

"So," Dahyun starts, looking around the table at the other six faces, finally resting on Siyeon. "Siyeon. You said that SuA visited you last night."

Siyeon nods, catching Matthew purposefully yawn. She steels her jaw and clears her throat. "Yes. She did. And she told me that Handong is killing off all of the independent assassins in this city."

"Was she being serious?" Jooheon asks with a confused look. "That's a pretty big lie to make."

"She was." Siyeon says. "I know her, she wasn't lying."

"You could be lying." Matthew interjects suspiciously. "You could be working with Handong and this is a trap."

"Matthew!" Dahyun snaps. "We are a team here, we're not going to argue with each other."

"I have a right to be suspicious."

"Dude, no." Jooheon glares at him. "You did this before, saying you had 'the right' to be suspicious. It's not acceptable to keep saying that. We've already established that we can trust Siyeon."

Matthew clenches his jaw and tries to look for help from others at the table, but no one makes eye contact. "Fine."

"But back to the issue here, Handong is murdering independent assassins off." Dahyun cuts over them to bring control back.

"And she's killed most of them off already." Siyeon adds.

Their faces turn darker.

"Well, shit." JiU says.

"Could I say something?" One woman asks, putting her hand brazenly in the air.

"Go for it, Hwasa." Dahyun accepts with a wave of her hand.

"We should try and rescue the assassins she hasn't killed yet. It would be a little cruel to continue to let them be killed. Don't you all agree?"

"That's a good idea. But I'm thinking that some of them won't want to be 'rescued'." Jooheon says. "They're assassins. If we tell them they're in danger of being killed, they'll likely say 'I can handle myself'."

"Let's just kidnap them and ask questions later." Matthew sighs. "But can't we just ignore this? It isn't damaging us."

"Matthew, they're humans and fellow assassins. It's human decency for us to at least try and help them if we know they're in danger, especially since we're a company of assassins." Siyeon defends, annoyed she was even having to explain why. "We don't know why Handong's doing this, so it's better for us to throw a spanner in the works and let it happen."

Hwasa nods vigorously. "Even if they refuse, we should at least try. We could even bring them into our company."

"That's an idea." Dahyun agreed. "Does everyone agree with trying to locate the remaining assassins?"

"Yes." Everyone's voices in universality.

"Great. Myself, Wooyoung and Hwasa will focus on primarily locating the assassins, then we can sort out rescuing. The soonest we can finish is probably tomorrow. Be ready."

***

"Who are we finding?" Siyeon asks Dahyun from the front passenger seat.

"They go by the name of 'Minho'." She addresses the whole car without taking her eyes off the road.

"How are we going to go about this?" Jooheon asks from the backseat, running his hands together.

"Calmly. Assure him we're not a threat and so on. I'm honestly not sure how this will turn out."

"Gotcha." Jooheon's hand moves to the weapon concealed under his coat. "I pray we don't run into Handong."

"I don't think we will." Siyeon assures, thinking quickly. "There's still many assassins left. It would be pure chance if she or someone working for her turned up."

"If he isn't dead already." JiU notes.

"That too." Siyeon agrees.

Dahyun parks at the side of the road. Siyeon looks out of the window, seeing that the building they were outside of was only one of three. It felt dangerously isolated, with other buildings only further down the road and high walls bordering the pavement.

"Hiding in plain sight, much?" Jooheon looks up at the modest two-floor house and the densely tree-decorated garden.

"We don't really have time to waste." Dahyun says after he finishes, opening the car door and stepping out.

They all follow her example and move through the gate and onto the path.

"I'll stay outside." Jooheon suggests. "In case he tries to run." He moves to the edges of the garden.

They continue to walk to the door.

"Are we cutting off all exits?" JiU asks. "He might escape before we get to talk."

Dahyun nods. "Yeah, we want to avoid him running. Don't act like we're trying to kill him though, or he'll definitely try and harm you."

Siyeon separates, walking around the side of the house and finds wooden stairs leading up to the balcony on the next floor. She can't see anyone.

Once on the balcony, which stretches around half of the house, she walks to a table which has a mug of coffee placed on it.

Siyeon touches the side. Warm.

She moves forward a little more cautiously, heading for the glass doors she'd seen from the garden.

"No one on the ground floor so far." JiU's voice says through the earpiece.

"No one on the balcony, but the coffee mug was warm. Checking inside now."

Siyeon uses her arm to slide one balcony door open, not yet looking inside, the reflected sun's glare too bright. She slips inside, but no one is in the small room.

"Start calling his name." Dahyun advises. "Be friendly."

"Minho?" Siyeon broaches the air cautiously. "We're not here to hurt you." Those words were often used by those lying about their true intentions. "We're also assassins, and we just want to talk." Her feet take her into the bedroom, the bed sheets messy.

"Mr Minho?" Dahyun calls from another part of the house.

She looks through the doorway to JiU, who's just come up the stairs. She shrugs.

The ensuite door behind her opens, she catches the movement in the mirror in front of her and a black blur sprints out.

"Oh shi--"

Their arm encircles her throat and she lets them pull her into them with their tense hold.

"Don't move." He growls, the arm pulling tighter, threatening to snap her neck.

Silently, she nods, keeping her hands loose at her sides. It would be easy for her to break out of his grip, but she needs to avoid alarming the man.

"Walk forward." They leave the room, walking towards JiU, who stands unsurely in the large space between the rooms, one hand frozen, reaching under her jacket for her weapon. "Is this all of you?"

"There's one more." JiU answers, dropping her hand.

"Call them here."

"Dahyun. We found Minho, he's upstairs." She calls loudly.

It isn't long before Dahyun comes up the stairs, her eyes widening a little at the scene.

Siyeon shifts a little to itch her foot and his arm tightens around her neck. "Don't you dare."

"Minho." Dahyun smiles. "My name is Dahyun, this is JiU and that's Siyeon you're holding. Would you mind releasing her so we can talk like civilised people?"

"I won't." He refuses with the petulance of a young child. "I can't trust any of you."

"Okay. The three of us are assassins, like you. We are not here to kill you, only warn. Your life is in danger from an assassin called Handong."

"You think I don't already know assassins are being killed off?" His voice rises angrily and his arm around Siyeon's neck eases. "I was doing alright until you lot decided to invade my home."

"Minho, we want to offer you a deal. We can protect you from assassination if you agree to join with our assassination company."

"I don't need protection." He scoffs and his arm tightens again, starting to dangerously cut off her oxygen. Her hands hold onto his arm as she looks to Dahyun.

"We're not trying to attack you, Minho. We just want to make sure your life is not in danger." Dahyun reassures confidently, opening her arms out. "We'll leave just as peacefully if you let Siyeon go."

"Fuck you all, bitches!" He gasps, shoving Siyeon to the floor as he bolts for the balcony doors.

Lungs burning for air, Siyeon races after him. He leaps over the balcony and Siyeon follows fearlessly, rolling as her feet hit the ground.

He's already at the end of the path. Jooheon emerges from the bushes, but Minho sends him to the ground with a jump kick. "Lying fuckers!" He screams and runs across the road.

A grey jeep ploughs into him. Minho has no chance to avoid or even see it as he's thrown to the ground, the vehicle racing over him. It continues down the road at the same break-neck speed.

"Shit." She curses as she reaches him.

His body is already a mess. The jeep hit him at his midsection and his skin there is ripped to shreds, exposing gory bones, some broken. His head is also a mess, blood flowing freely from where it impacted with the road.

Siyeon feels for his pulse. "He's dead."

The other three arrive.

"We failed." Jooheon says angrily and looks away from the broken body.

"There's nothing we can do." Dahyun winces. "We tried."

"But that was deliberate. It must have been Handong." Siyeon says grimly.

"Horrible way to go." JiU frowns.


	38. Chapter 38

"The next one goes by the name of Soojin." Dahyun tells them as she drives off again.

They had left Minho's body where it is, unable to do anything.

"Any other info on her?" Jooheon prompts.

"We actually have a tracker on her already, through her phone, I think. Dami had, er, apparently been looking into recruiting her. She has a folder on her. So," She passes her phone to Siyeon. "Her location should be on-screen now."

"D Street." She says after peering at the screen. "That's only, like, two minutes from here."

"We could just jump out and catch up to her on foot."

"I was going to suggest that anyway."

"Go ahead." Dahyun says and taps the wheel. "We're a little stuck in traffic right now, so that's the best suggestion."

Three of them get out and walk onto the pavement. Siyeon is still holding Dahyun's phone and walks in front of the other two.

"We fucked up last time. What can we do better this time?" Jooheon asks seriously.

"Be gentle with it?" JiU suggests. "We just have to not appear like we're going to harm her."

"I agree." Siyeon looks down at the phone again. "She should be in the next alleyway."

They walk in silence and around the corner with neutral faces. At the other end, walking towards them is a tall woman. She looks imposing with her deep red lipstick and dark eyes and Siyeon shivers a little at the aura she gives off.

Without even glancing at them, she walks by, back where they came from.

"Er, excuse me!" Jooheon turns and raises a hand to catch her attention.

She turns in obvious annoyance at the end of the alley as he walks to her, a disarming grin on his face. "Yes?"

Siyeon and JiU follow after him.

"We have something to ask of you." He says and lowers his voice. "We're also assassins."

She recoils from him. "I-I'm not an assassin!"

"Best liar in the world." Siyeon comments dryly. "You don't have to pretend, Soojin. We aren't here to hurt you."

"How do I know you aren't lying?" She demands and steps back out of the alley.

"You don't. But I assure you that we're acting with honest intentions." Siyeon says calmly and steps closer. "Perhaps we can walk as we sort this out?"

"I--Fine." She nods unwillingly.

"Great." Siyeon walks out onto the street with JiU as Jooheon hovers behind. Soojin walks between the two girls.

"How did you find me?" Soojin asks in a shy voice of curiosity contrasting to her strong appearance.

"Our company head had some sort of tracker on you." Siyeon shrugs. "I'm not sure of the exact details, but she wanted to scout you for our company?"

"You're a company?"

"Of assassins." JiU clarifies.

Traffic passes as normal past them and Siyeon glimpses Dahyun pass by in the car.

"We sought to contact you because we believe your life is in danger." Siyeon says in complete seriousness. "We received information that a rival company to ours is killing off the independent assassins in this city."

"Really?" She trembles a little and she feels sorry for the woman in that moment. "Wh--"

She starts to speak, but is drowned out by a car engine. From up the road, a car races down at break-neck speed, revving the engine to hell.

"What the heck?" JiU complains. "That's an idiot right there."

Looking closely at the car, Siyeon sees someone lean carefully out of the window, holding something black.

"He's holding a gun!" She cries in alarm.

Soojin freezes and Siyeon pulls her to the ground as they fire off several shots, despite how far away they are still.

"We can't stay!" She pulls Soojin to her feet and as a collective, they dash back into the alley and hide in the darkness.

More bullets ring out, but none hit them.

The roar of the car's engine disappears.

"Oh my...God." Soojin huffs and holds her arm tightly. "You were right."

"You're hurt." JiU notices and gently takes the girl's hand away from her arm. There is a bloody hole staining her pale skin and she inspects it closely.

"You'll be okay. But we need to get you back to the company for treatment." JiU decides. "Siyeon, call Dahyun have her pick us up."

"That's one assassin we've saved today." Jooheon announces with a wry grin. "Thank goodness."


	39. Chapter 39

"We know where they are now." Dahyun announces to the other assassins sat around the table as she laid several images on the table. "We managed to tail some of Handong's assassins back to their hideout."

The pictures showed people entering and leaving a warehouse, with dates on them showing that they had been watching them for a few days.

"And you're sure it's their hideout?" Siyeon questions. "We have to be sure if we're going to try and take them down.

"I'm sure." She assured everyone. "We've been watching for some time now and I don't think they're trying to mislead us."

"What will we do with this information?" Hwasa asked. "Do you suggest..."

"Attacking? Completely." Dahyun nodded. "We can raze Handong's company to the ground in one."

"When will we attack?"

"Tomorrow." Siyeon said gravely. "Be prepared."

***

Outside of the vast industrial park, the assassins wait for confirmation, sitting inside several vans.

Only Juniors and Seniors are allowed on this mission and even then it was on a volunteer basis. This mission was extra dangerous and there is sure to be losses.

Siyeon's hands rove over her weapons - two guns in the harness around her body, a knife and the rifle slung across her back. Opposite to normal, she also has smoke grenades in a small pouch and infrared goggles. If things go extremely south, these will help.

One should be prepared for any situation and Siyeon does feel ready. Ready to take on Handong, to kill her.

Butterflies flutter intensely in her stomach and her expression remains frozen as she anticipates the fight to come, ready to gain justice for those she has lost.

The other people in the van look similarly impassive and she has a hard time guessing their thoughts. JiU catches her eye and a small smile holds her lips. But she can't keep it there, quickly dropping her head.

A feeling of gloom settles over Siyeon, optimism faltering in the face of the worried emotions stifling the small area.

"Rooftop assassins taken out." The male voice reports through her earpiece, the same voice projecting through everyone else's comms.

Their van starts with a rumble and turns into the industrial park, moving towards the warehouse.

"Everyone ready." Siyeon orders those in the vehicle.

She can't help but notice how Matthew grips his rifle with bloodless, pale hands, his expression tight. The emotion he shows is unusual, cockiness gone.

The van grinds to a halt and everyone meets eyes.

Dahyeon speaks. "You all know the mission objectives. No redemption. Good luck, everyone."

Jooheon opens the van door and they leave swiftly, clutching weapons to their chests.

Siyeon looks up at the brick warehouse and its closed shutter, her mouth firming into a thin line. Shaking her head, she follows everyone else, including assassins from other vans.

At the shutter doors, two people take a smoke grenade each in hand as three others ready to lift it.

"Three, two, one."

They lift it together, high enough for the two assassins to roll their grenades under. They hiss, releasing thick grey smoke. Once sure they are all covered, the door is lifted higher and everyone runs through with trained urgency.

"Juniors, cover the stairs." Dahyun orders from beside her, speaking through their comms. "Seniors, follow us."

Shots start to fire through the smoke and they crouch low as they dash through the smoke, holding their loaded weapons out.

As the smoke clears a little, Siyeon sees the enemy, spread out thinly and unprepared as they scramble for weapons and hiding spots with desperate cries.

"Good." She mumbles viciously to herself as she hides in a lip in the wall, feeling no sympathy as she takes her rifle in hand and kneels to peer through the sight. With careful shots, she picks them off, making every shot count. Her hand jerked the bolt back after every bullet to eject each shell.

"Doing good, Siyeon." JiU assures through her in-ear and once she empties a clip, Siyeon catches up with the main group as they start to push their way through the more-organised enemies.

Through the thickness of the crowd, Siyeon identifies Handong stood on a platform at the other end of the warehouse. There's someone else there she knows.

SuA.

"SuA's with Handong just ahead. Try not to hurt her." She warns and takes her handguns out, using them to shoot or melee.

"Roger. We'll immobilise this group and confront her."

In the glimpses she catches, Handong seems happy, the ear-to-ear smile on her face easy to see. And the terror on SuA's.

A particularly trigger-happy man fires towards Siyeon but his aim suffers, all bullets missing her. She retaliates with a single shot. He flies back and her hand uses the butt of the handgun to hit the next person running towards her. Everyone around her has similar success as they push through.

As the enemy's numbers reduce, Siyeon sees a break in the people and abandons fighting to dash through, eyes on Handong.

As she draws closer, Handong pulls SuA into her, putting a knife to her throat. Siyeon's anger flares and she stops in front of the small platform, looking up at the four people there.

"Let her go." Siyeon demands in a steel-cold voice, struggling to keep her voice un-emotional as her eyes look into SuA's horrified ones.

"Why should I?" The woman smiles and tests the blade against SuA's throat.

"Don't you fucking dare." She warns, hands clenching tighter on her weapons.

Dahyun runs up beside her, looking a little worse for wear. "Handong, let her go." We can talk, sort things out the sensible way." She breathes deeply.

"I know you're here to kill me." A laugh forces its way from her throat. "Don't try and fool me with that bullshit."

"There's no reason for you to hold SuA captive. Let her go and we can fight fairly."

Siyeon stays quiet to let Dahyun talk, doubting she would have the verbal skill to negotiate. SuA's not looking at her, staring at the ground instead.

"I don't fight fair.You should know that by now." With those words, she raises her hand holding the knife. As it plunges down, SuA attempts to wriggle out of her grasp. The knife still hits her, but Siyeon can't tell where. All she can see is SuA's blood flowing out of her as she falls.

"No!" Siyeon screams, the words tearing her throat as she leaps onto the platform, raising a gun to shoot Handong, no hesitation as she pulls the trigger.

That same instant, two people tackle her to the ground and the bullet goes flying elsewhere. "Let me go!" She growls fiercely as tears fall and she wriggles futilely under their combined weight. Once they've flung her guns away, the two men take her by an arm each and use a pressure point to keep her restrained.

"Handong!" Dahyun shouts angrily, but is soon occupied by a fresh wave of enemies as other assassins rush to aid her.

"You always were a pain." Handong sneers down at Siyeon, her body still frozen in their grasp.

She bucks in an effort to release their grip, but she's too weak against two people. "You stabbed her!"

"I did." She shrugs. "Enjoy it?"

"You--!" Too furious, she can't focus or make rational decisions. Every cell in her body screams to kill Handong.

"Enough of that." Her expression straightens and she crouches beside her, the knife in hand, blood dripping down it and her hand. "Wouldn't it be poetic if you were killed by the same knife as your girlfriend?"

Siyeon grits her teeth and kicks a leg up at her, succeeding in knocking the knife from her grip. Using the surprise of the attack, she twists and kicks one enemy in the throat. He lets go of her and she easily handles the other one.

Handong steps back, waving forward yet more people to attack.

"You fucking wimp!" Siyeon pulls the pin on a smoke grenade and sets it rolling as she leaps off the platform and scrambles away. Unarmed apart from a knife, she sees it best to hide first.

She hides in a darkened spot underneath the stairs, using her infrared goggles to see through the smoke. There are too many people lying motionless on the ground, having a bad feeling many of them were assassins. Siyeon frowns unhappily and wipes her warm tears away.

Two people catch her eye as she continues to peer into the smoke.

Matthew. Attacking JiU.

Fury arises as She remembers Gahyeon's theory about a spy in the company. A mole.


	40. Special Chapter 2

A/N:  
Sooooo...quick note: This is the Handong and Dami flashback chapter I promised several chapters ago (don't know if anyone remembers) - It just goes into their past and how they know each other.  
And holy shit this chapter is long - 4417 words roughly, so please enjoy!

Dami's phone rang into the darkness, the unpleasant sound blaring through her head. It startled her from Handong's sleeping embrace as the girl rolled off her with a low grunt.

"Who the fuck is that?" Handong moaned while Dami leapt off the bed to find her phone in the mess of their room. Glass bottles, clothes and takeaway boxes littered the floor and available surfaces.

Finally, inside the pizza box from last night, Dami found her vibrating, blaring phone and answered it with fumbling fingers.

"What took you so long to bloody answer?" The rough male voice on the other end growled angrily. "I don't have time for your laziness."

"I was sleeping, Mr Kwon." Dami answered coolly, impatience dripping through her tone.

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, woman. You're late, yet again, on your rent payment."

She took the phone away from her ear with a wince and rolled her eyes at Handong.

The other woman sighed. "That the landlord?"

Dami nodded in answer and returned her ear to the phone, where he was mid-rant.

"--this is the last time I'll let you off being late. Pay up by 7pm tomorrow or you're evicted!"

He hung up abruptly and Dami dropped her phone onto the bed before she put her head in her hands. "However the hell are we going to get the money?"

"Babe..." Handong shuffled up behind to envelope her in a warm hug, wrapping arms around Dami's petite waist. "It's going to be alright.

Dami took Handong's hands in hers silently as she stared into space, still questioning how they would get money they didn't have.

"When are you going to get paid?" Handong questioned quietly as Dami sat in front of her and laid her head back onto Handong's shoulder.

"Monday. But that's way too late."

"I'll get the money." She assured as she put a hand to Dami's cheek and kissed her lips gently, slowly becoming deeper as the two fell back together onto the mattress,

Dami pulled away, looking at Handong in concern as she held her face. "How are you going to get the money? Last time I checked, I was the only one with a job."

"Enough sarcasm, baby." Handong leant forward again, touching lips carefully as she embraced her more tightly. "You really don't need to worry."

The woman managed to roll her eyes with scorn as she reciprocated the kiss. "I'll...trust you." She breathed heavily.

***

Tiredly, Dami stepped out from the bus, her aching feet the only thing on her mind as she plodded up the stairs to the apartment. Though they lived on a high floor, she always preferred to use the stairs, her fear of lifts overriding the amount of walking she had to do each day.

When she opened the front door with usual slowness, the scent of fragrant flowers caught her nose, which she scrunched in confusion.

"That you, Dami babe?" Handong's voice playfully rose as she appeared from the kitchen to sit on the sofa in front of the blaring television.

"You know it is." She dropped her keys in the bowl by the door with a serious expression. "What are we going to do about the money? It's due in a couple of hours."

Handong turned to her with a triumphant expression. "I told you I would take care of the money." She proudly held out a wad of notes, inviting Dami to take them.

Her expression turned distasteful as she came forward. "I hope you didn't steal this."

"You really think that little of me?" Handong completely turned around on the sofa to lean against the back and forced the cash into her hands. "I just did someone a favour."

"No one pays, what," She quickly counted the notes. "300,000 won for 'a favour'."

The confident smile stayed put. "Go and give this to the landlord, then I'll tell you everything."

Dami's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but she sighed and left the flat again, staring at the precious money in her hand. No matter how Handong had got the money, she was going to give it to the landlord.

***

Wasting no time, Dami soon appeared back at their flat, ears freshly ringing with the grievances of the landlord. How she wished they could move, but if they had barely enough money to pay that month's rent, then they could never afford to move.

Handong was still sat on the sofa, watching some sort of spy thriller.

"So?" She started with crossed arms as she moved in front of the television. "Where'd you get the money?"

"Did he accept the money?"

Dami sighed harshly. "Yes, he did. Now where did you get the fucking money from?"

"I killed someone." Handong locked eyes with her, sparkling with cheer and anticipation as she grinned like she'd said something funny.

The woman fixed her with a stern look, waiting for Handong ro say she was joking. When she didn't, a sick feeling thumped her in the gut and she blinked rapidly with a shake of her head. "What the actual fuck? You killed someone?"

"Uh-huh." Handong paused the television and picked at her red nail polish.

"Why are you so casual?" She yelled at her. "You've just murdered a person!"

"They deserved it, babe." Handong rose to her feet confidently.

"That's not the point." She rebutted angrily. "You could go to prison for this kind of shit. Who was the favour for?"

"Just some friend of mine, you don't know them." The woman conveniently ignored her first point and she frowned. "I mentioned I needed money quick and they gave me a solution."

Turning away from her girlfriend, she put her hands to her face as her mind raced with thoughts. The first of which was shock at Handong's blase attitude to murder. What was this side of her love she had never seen before?

Taking her time, Dami strode to the kitchen and filled a glass with water, sipping it slowly. "Let me get this straight. We needed money quickly. So you talked with a friend, who offered you money if you killed someone for them?"

"Completely right. They said they'd give me more money for my next kill."

"Next kill?" She faced her in disbelief, slamming the glass down on the table. "You're thinking of killing another person?"

"It pays, Dami." Handong raised her shoulders in a slow shrug. "C'mon, when we get enough money, we can move out of this dump, buy stuff we've always desired..."

Her expression faltered at the thought of money and the power to buy what she wanted. The power to live her life as she wished, rather than to live in the power of the need for money and never having enough.

"Move out of this place?"

"That's right." An arm snaked around her body and Handong smiled sweetly down at her, an unlit cigarette between her lips. "Light it?"

Without looking, Dami open one of the draws and took a lighter out, using it to light the cigarette slowly as they gazed into each other's eyes.

The woman took a long drag from her cigarette and cast a side eye at the shorter woman. "The way I see it, this is the only way to fund our lives."

The other woman frowned disapprovingly, still unwilling. "Murder isn't exactly top of my wishlist, Handong."

"It pays big, Dami." She grinned as she repeated her previous words, as if trying to hammer her points in. "Imagine what we could buy."

"Then...a-alright. You say they deserve to die. Are they all going to be criminals that, er, we kill?"

Handong blew out a cloud of smoke, no concern on her face. The fire alarm had long since stopped working. "That's right. I would never kill someone if I didn't feel they deserved it. You wanna kill too?"

Dami turned more uncomfortable. "I-well, it would be fair if...you know, you don't do everything. Take an equal share of the work..." She trailed off, unsure how to continue as she imagined actually killing someone.

"It's alright, babe. We can take it slow. You'll get there."

***

"Tonight's the night." Handong sung with a cheerful air as she loaded a battered handgun, bought on the black market.

Dami appeared from the bathroom, looking unusually pale as she wiped her mouth with a tissue, eyes reproachful. "Why so cheerful? God, it feels like I'm dating a psycho sometimes."

The smile left her face, concern overtaking it as she wiped Dami's perspiring forehead with the back of her hand. "Are you alright? Were you sick just now?"

She nodded slowly so as not to irritate her building headache. "I'm just scared, Handong. We're going to kill someone tonight.

Handong continued to stand close, letting Dami lay her throbbing head against her cold shoulder. "You don't have to come with me."

She shook her head more firmly. "I want to."

"Just think about the pay off. Money!" Handong whispered gleefully.

***

Stood in the shadows, Handong and Dami watched the club's entrance, waiting for their target to exit. It wasn't long before the very man came out - Young, attractive and smartly dressed in a shirt and chinos.

"What did he do wrong?" Dami asked, keeping her eyes on the man as she fiddled with her face mask uncomfortably.

"Sexual assault." Handong gave her a disgusted look. "Always blamed it on the victim. Fucking asshole."

Deserving anger swept through Dami, but a niggling feeling at the back of her head wondered if he really deserved to die for what he'd done. Murder seemed extreme.

"You're thinking death is too drastic, aren't you?" Handong looked down to her knowingly.

She nodded quietly as Handong looked out across the dark road.

"The law isn't going to convict him, Dami. Sometimes you have to take the law into your own hands."

"I see. When do we get him?" Dami whispered, pulling her dark hoodie closer around her.

"When there's no one around." Handong stepped out from the shadows of the buildings and started to tail the man with confident strides. Dami followed with smaller, faster paces, eyes darting apprehensively around as the man began to walk unsteadily through secluded, empty areas.

"Stop." Handong put her hand back to her, who stuttered to a stop and reached for the gun in her pocket. She handed it over to Handong.

Without any apparent hesitation, Handong took the gun in both hands and pulled the trigger.

The bang of the bullet exiting the chamber was louder than Dami had ever imagined it would be. Her eyes watched in fascinated horror as the man crumpled forward and blood started to seep from his deformed head.

"Oh my God." She breathed in alarm as Handong took her hand. "You killed him."

"And that means money for us, Dami." Handong smiled, though her eyes also seemed tense and nervous.

"Money." Dami agreed weakly, looking firmly away from his body as another wave of sickness threatened to make her vomit.

"Hey!" A voice called, coming from up the street behind them. They turned with agitated energy to the shouting man as he held up a phone.

Before Dami had seized the thought to run, Handong fired a bullet at the witness.

"What're you doing?" She exclaimed as the man stumbled to the floor with a pained cry, gripping his bloody hand that once held his phone. "You can't kill--"

"I didn't kill him. He was going to film us." Handong hissed as she took Dami's hand and they sprinted past his corpse to make their way back to their car. "We can't have witnesses or our luxury life would be over before it even started!"

"Smart." Dami breathed appreciatively.

"Focus on the running." Handong scolded breathlessly.

"Sorry." She said in a small voice and looked ahead as the car came into sight. Adrenaline pounded through her veins as she pumped faster for the car, slapping her hand against the handle and yanking it open.

Handong darted around to the passenger side and slipped in, where Dami's jittery hands had already started the engine.

"Go, go!" She urged and Dami stomped hard on the accelerator.

***

As soon as their front door closed behind them and shut out the outside world, Handong sneaked a guileful glance at Dami. "What did you think?"

She flashed back to the man as he fell to the ground, his thick blood quickly flowing out from him. The image invited nausea and she felt the urge to gag.

"Er..." Her voice caught in her throat. "I didn't like it that much."

Handong placed the gun on the surface beside them to enclose Dami in a gentle embrace. She stayed mute, rocking slowly from side-to-side. "Perhaps I should have gone alone. I had a feeling you wouldn't like it."

"Seeing another person's life be taken," Dami sniffled against her, tears leaking down her cheeks. "Is something hard to witness. But if he so deserved it, then...I should get used to it, shouldn't I?"

"He did deserve it. All the people we will kill deserve it." She replied coldly, tone fluidly becoming kinder as she continued. "But if it takes time to get used to seeing it, then that's okay, alright?"

"How do you manage it?" She asked quietly, slight astonishment to her tired tone. "You just shoot them and then pretend it's normal."

"Death has always surrounded me." Her voice admitted in a wishful tone before a cheeky smile suddenly split her face. "We're going to be paid even more than before for this assassination. What do you want to buy?"

The woman recognised Handong's attempt to change the subject and cheer her up so she willingly participated, playing with Handong's loose hair as she talked. "I want, erm, recording software."

"Let me guess, you want to record your own mixtapes?" She sensed the amusement in her tone.

"Don't laugh..." She said reproachfully with huge embarrassment. "I've always wanted to make songs all on my own."

"Hey, I'm not knocking it!" Handong belted out a laugh and parted from her. "I'll collect the money tomorrow and then we can get you what you want. Anything for my girlfriend."

Dami met eyes with her gratefully, standing on her toes to plant a kiss against her smiling lips. "I love you."

***

Handong took the woman by her jacket collar and yanked her head back in the chair. "Enjoying this?" She asked mockingly down to her.

Dami watched from further back, uncomfortable at the enjoyment Handong seemed to take, the enjoyment she knew Handong took as she recalled the mounting list of people Handong had killed. As well as the way she had become increasingly sadistic with each kill and greedier with each bundle of money they received. The woman she loved had changed, and not for better. She herself felt she still retained her moral values, justifying every kill with the reasoning that they were bad people.

She now had the things she desired and was happy with what she had, but the life she had was not one she wanted.

"Just kill her, Handong. That's what we were paid for."

"Don't kill me!" The middle-aged woman blubbered hysterically. "I have a family! I can pay equal to what you were!"

"A family you abandoned for another man, and another man, and another man, hm? Neglecting each family you abandoned, leaving them broken and stealing their savings." She reason with a shrug. "People die all the time. I don't think anyone would be sad to hear of your death." Continuing to smile, the woman put a knife to her cheek and began to slice down her cheek with a deliberate, slow stroke. Blood leapt to the surface and poured down the crying woman's cheek.

"Just kill her, Handong!" She commanded more forcefully, gulping as Handong turned to look at her.

"Where's the fun in that?" She carelessly swiped the blood across the woman's cheek. "We're still going to get our money."

Dami chewed her lip, tightening hands around her own gun as she continued to stare her down.

"Don't you agree? It won't hurt to play with her a little."

At her words, Dami trembled. The woman constantly scared her with her casual violence that increased in size with each target. Thinking more consciously, she realised she didn't want the woman to suffer more than she already had, even if she had committed wrongdoings.

With plenty of hesitation, she raised the gun and shot the shaking woman.

Handong spun to face her with alarming speed, her bearing absolutely furious. "What the fuck did you do that for?

"I don't like you torturing them." Her voice trembled against her angry gaze. "Our job is just to kill." To avoid having to look at her, Dami stared at the collapsed corpse, tracking the trail of blood snaking down her battered face.

"I don't understand why you're like this, Dami." Handong's expression twisted in sadness as she came closer. "I-I need to do this. Killing, helps me feel in control. You see, I--"

"Don't come any closer!" Swallowing her nerve, Dami aimed the gun at Handong. "I don't trust you!"

Her expression transformed to become even more melancholy. "Why don't you? You, you love me, don't you? You said I was your one and only. The one you'd spend the rest of your life with."

"That was before this! Before we started to waste huge money on cigarettes, alcohol, drugs. And before we turned to assassination to fund it all."

Handong buried her face in her hands, a hand still holding the gun as she sobbed desperately.

At the sight of her girlfriend crying, Dami wanted to weep herself, wishing she'd never met Handong, never fallen in love with her and the addicting dangerous aura she had.

"Don't leave me, Dami!" Handong wailed, stumbling into her unwilling arms.

"Handong." She said weakly, resting a hand against her back as Handong's tears leaked through her hoodie. As the woman leaned into her vulnerably, it seemed impossible to imagine the same woman torturing people with a smile on her face.

Just maybe...

Maybe she could convince Handong to give up on this side of her life. To denounce the dark side and revert back to the happy, loveable girl she once was.

Her heart ached with love, but also with the ending thought that she would have to abandon the woman she'd believed she would spent her whole life with.

Gently, she peeled the bent-over woman away from her, seeing a wide smile split Handong's lowered face that quickly transformed back into a frown as she raised her head.

"I'm sorry, Dami."

"I don't believe you." Dami mumbled, sweaty hands slipping on the gun.

"What?" She spat. "What did you say?"

"I said I don't believe you!" Dami shouted the freeing words and treaded backwards, again raising her gun.

"You gonna kill me?" Handong laughed madly, all acts of love disappearing. "You couldn't."

Biting her lip so hard it started to bleed, Dami pulled the trigger, squeezing her eyes shut as she did.

Something collided with the ground and she winced away from the sound, hands to her ears with a cry. When stillness began to rule, Dami opened her eyes.

Handong lay sprawled on the ground, crumpled weakly with her hair hiding her face from Dami's unwilling eyes.

"Oh God...What have I done?" Instead of rushing to the woman's side, she left the room, lungs heaving with fast, panicked breaths as she wept for the woman she'd killed.

***

Nightmares kept Dami locked in her sleep, refusing to let her wake as she watched herself become Handong and torture unfamiliar people. When she looked down at her hands, they were soaked and dripping with everyone's blood as if they were made entirely of flowing, pulsing blood.

As she strangled a woman with her bloody hands, Dami felt an invisible force clutch her shaking shoulders and push her away from the coughing woman.

What had pushed her?

With an alarming jolt, Dami opened crusty eyes to semi-darkness. Once realising she was awake, she sighed. It had just been another nightmare.

As she woke up more, Dami realised the weight that was lying on her and the eyes staring into hers weren't her dog's.

She swallowed against their hand at her throat as her eyes widened in fear.

"Don't do anything." Their low voice commanded as they moved to turn her bedside lamp on, immediately pinning Dami's wrists to the bed as it flicked on.

A gasp escaped her lips. "Handong!" She struggled in her grasp angrily.

Handong stayed sat on her body, bony hands keeping her pinned as she smiled in greeting. "Hello."

"Get off me!"

"No, I won't" Her voice refused coldly. She seemed content to stay.

"How did you find me?"

"I followed you straight from that cafe you always go on a Wednesday. Your habits never change."

Forcing herself to calm, though her anger did not negate, Dami relaxed into the bed. It was then she noticed the red, puffy scar running down Handong's face, snaking through her eyebrow and around her eye.

"You did that." Handong told her, taking Dami's hand in her own to trace it down the deep and stitched split. "I told you you couldn't kill me." A warm chuckle crossed her lips, harmonising pleasantly with the gentle rain hitting the windows.

"How--" Dami pulled her hand away from the face and rested it back on the bed.

"I moved. That's all" A small smile quirked her lips, soon falling. "Oh, Dami." She sighed unhappily.

"What is it?" Dami questioned lighty, the calm act hard to keep up as fury threatened to make her shout and scream.

"I've been real lonely without you." Handong relaxed back, assuming a less-dominant position as she moved off her and pulled her knees into her chest. "I miss you."

Dami sat up, unsure of Handong's intentions. Guilt-tripping her? Genuinely trying to make amends?

"I'm sorry, Dami. I fucked up so much. I turned you away from me. I'm really sorry for that. I...know you still love me."

A part of Dami's heart reached out, restrained in strength by the more sensible parts as they saw through Handong's insincere words. She didn't mean it. Of course she didn't. That woman would never willingly admit she was wrong.

Forcing herself to become hard and not bend to her emotions, Dami clenched her jaw with fresh resolve. She looked across to Handong, who had started to sniffle with crocodile tears.

"Bullshit." She spat angrily. "You are not sorry at all. All I can think of are all the times you killed those people, with a smile on your face. You're a sick bastard."

Silence hung in the air as Handong put a hand to her face and looked away. While she was distracted, Dami took the chance to snake her hand under her pillow to her knife, gripping it tightly. Ready to kill.

"Hah." Handong laughed softly with a shake of her shoulders before snapping her head up again with a furious expression. "You little bastard!"

It all happened quickly.

Handong leapt for Dami, something flashing in her swinging hand. Expecting it, Dami blocked the attack and launched herself into Handong.

They tumbled from the bed, crashing into the hardwood wardrobe. Handong groaned and shoved Dami away from her savagely, one hand nursing her head.

Dami faced her as they stood, both glaring. "Get out of my flat and my life! I don't fucking love you anymore!"

"And if I don't want to?"

"I'll kill you." Dami gritted her teeth, shifting with nervous energy.

Without warning, Handong made a mad slice at her, ripping a cut through her pyjamas and skin.

"Stop it!" Dami cried, urging forward with intent to disarm as she seized Handong's wrists. "Just get out. Please."

Handong headbutted her and twisted out of her grasp but Dami just as quickly snap-kicked her in the chest. Stumbling heavily backwards, she collided with the window, which shattered under the force.

"Get out." Dami's voice trembled. "I don't want to have to hurt you anymore."

"Alright...alright." The damaged woman gingerly got to her feet, blood starting to drop from ripped stitches. "I will. But I promise you I'm sorry." She strode past Dami, who kept her back firmly angled away from the woman. It hurt to even see her and remember she had once been in love.

A rough hand seized Dami by the neck and another forced her arm painfully behind her back. "Don't ever turn your back on me." Handong hissed, shoving her towards the broken window and over a large sharp shard still in the frame. She forced Dami's neck down towards the point with frightening strength.

"Get off me!" She wrinkled helplessly as the glass came closer.

"You don't get to cut me out of your life like that!" The shard jabbed against her throat, blood instantly trickling down her neck.

Dami kicked against the wall, forcing herself away from the immediate danger and fell backwards on top of her attacker.

She wrenched herself out of her grip and pinned Handong to the ground with a forearm against her throat as she punched her in the face, fury fueling her fists.

Handong went limp and Dami stopped her attack, standing up and grabbing her knife again, not wanting to fall to Handong's sadistic level. Even looking at Handong's bloody face brought forward so much guilt.

Slowly, Handong's eyes cracked open, dazedly focusing on Dami ."I thought you said you were going to kill me."

"I thought you said you were going to leave." She retorted, a hand to the cut at her throat that continued to bleed through her fingers.

Handong remained on the floor. "Breaking news. I lied." She closed her eyes weakly. "I know you still kill people."

Dami turned her head away, leaning against the other intact window. "So?" She had learnt to turn assassination into a business, offering her services for a price. Everyone she killed was her choice for she rejected those who asked her to kill people for pettier reasons, even if the money was good. Dami was terrified of turning into Handong.

"I do too." She opened her glinting eyes and leaned back on her elbows. "I don't want to compete, you know, step on your toes."

"So...?"

"So I was going to kill you just now." Handong frowned unhappily with an intense stare. "But no, I fucked up and you're still here."

"Fuck you too." Dami held the knife in front of her with a scornful expression. Her mind hesitated between the thought to kill Handong there and then and not doing so, simply because she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to kill a woman she had cared for. "How about you get out and we never meet again?"

"Never meet again? I'm on board with that." Handong got to her feet shakily, looking a mess with blood streaked all over her face and clothes.

"Good. Now get out."

Handong stood in front of her and Dami held out the knife threateningly. "How about..." She placed her own knife against Dami's throat as the woman did the same. "If we see each other again, I'll kill you."

"If it keeps you away from me, then I accept. But I'll be the one doing the killing." Dami uttered furiously and shoved her away. "Get out and never let me see you again."


	41. Chapter 41

Siyeon rips the goggles off and sprints straight for where she thought Matthew was through the smoke and draws her knife. He smacks JiU with a fist and she stumbles back, holding her face with a groan.

Matthew turns to leer at Siyeon.

"Finally figured it out, bitch? You're too late."

"Bastard." Not giving him time to react, she plunges the knife into the gap between his body armour and throat. His expression freezes and she shoves him away in disgust.

Once he falls, Siyeon collapses to her hands and knees and she sobs emptily. "SuA!" She can't help but assume the worst.

"Siyeon..." JiU puts her arm around her and takes her into the shadows to get out of immediate danger. Despite that, there's been a turn in events and it seems they are the ones winning.

"She can't be alive." Her eyes dart out towards the vulnerable form alone on the ground, struggling not to rush to her irrationally.

"She can be." JiU rubs her shoulder. "She's a strong wench, isn't she? You keep on going and I know you'll both make it." She whispers each word, voice nasal from the dried blood clogging her nostrils. Siyeon leans tiredly into her.

"How come you always look so miserable?" SuA giggles mischievously.

"It's called a resting bitch face, bitch." Siyeon jokes back with a scowl and pushes her away.

SuA playfully screams and pretends to slip off the step they're sitting on together.

"Stop that." Siyeon laughs.

"But I'm being serious here." SuA suddenly fixes her with a deadly earnest face. "You don't look like you're enjoying life."

"Life is hard. I don't have to smile all the time." She replies with a shrug. "We all have bad and good days."

"But I never know what you're thinking even when you're having a good day. You just give me that...face. Look, you're doing it right now!"

Siyeon hastily rearranges her deadpan expression and grins tightly. "I was not."

But she had been. That expression she wears when she protects her emotions from others seeing them, to hide her weaknesses and not let others know her thoughts. It is instinctive for her. But doesn't everyone do that? When she looks around, others don't wear the same impassive mask.

"You know you're speaking bullshit." SuA grins at her comfortably. "Why do you do it?"

"To hide what I'm thinking. I don't want other people to know."

"Fair." She accepts. "But it makes me feel like I'm boring you sometimes."

"You're not! I mean...sometimes you are, but--"

"You're too honest despite the fact you're hiding your emotions all the time." SuA snorts and embraces her. "You're an odd girl."

"So are you." Siyeon retorts.

"But I like it. Which is why I like you. Everything about you is just...I love you." She buries her face in Siyeon's neck, squeezing her tightly.

"I love you too." Siyeon confesses in a small voice, the truth hard to say. Small things like that are hard for her to say but it's worth it once she gets it out of her mouth.

"I'll love you forever."

"You've got to kill Handong. We'll take care of SuA." JiU says as Siyeon blinks back into the present.

"I will."

"She's going to be fine." JiU reassures and hands her her handgun, seeing Siyeon without hers.

Muttering a thanks, Siyeon reloads her rifle, putting it back in her back as she takes the handgun in hand.

She rushes back into the open without a backward glance, immediately spying Handong struggling to lift the shutter at the other end of the warehouse.

Running away.

The coward.

Siyeon sprints straight for her as the shutter crashes back down between them. With Herculean strength fuelled by adrenaline, Siyeon lifts the shutter and rolls under. Handong is several yards away, sprinting. Even from behind, she looks desperate.

"Handong!" She cries angrily and gives chase up the road. The woman ignores her calls, head looking around madly at her surroundings, seeming lost.

"Give up!" Siyeon calls, knowing her words wouldn't encourage the action.

"Never!" She reaches the gates and pushes through, the lock already forced by the assassins.

Is she leading her somewhere? Perhaps into an ambush?

But that's impossible - the woman looks like she's finally out of tricks.

Handong runs for the empty reed fields opposite, pushing her way through the waving stalks. Siyeon follows. It could have been over by now. She could have already shot Handong hundreds of times in this futile escape.

But she desires to confront her and force the evil woman to see the full force of her wrath.

In the centre of the waving expanse, the reeds die out and there is a worn patch of flat ground, trodden with animal prints.

"Let's stop running." Siyeon announces breathlessly as she steps out into the mud.

Handong halts and turns, hair sticking to her face with sweat. "Why?"

"You've already stopped." Siyeon snorts without humour. "I want to talk."

"What? So you can act as the psych, trying to discover why I've done this?" She crosses her arms, eyes glaring into hers.

She doesn't back down. "That's a good question. Why have you done this? You've ruined so many people's lives...for what? Getting rid of competition? Becoming the best of the best?"

Handong lets out a tight breath and she appears to deflate. "Yes. I want to be the best, alright? I just had some rivals."

"Dami."

"And your parents." She adds. "It never used to just be Dami running the company. They were too."

Refusing to let her shock show, Siyeon simply comments. "What?"

"You don't know? Yeah, they were. I saw them as a threat. So I needed to get rid of them."

"You killed them. You left me to suffer in the wake of their deaths!" Siyeon shouts, venting her frustration, feeling the emotion welling up inside her raw self.

"Would you have preferred I killed you there and then? I certainly do." Handong scoffs.

"Sometimes. I used to think that, in the beginning. But I learnt to hide it away, burying it away. You ruined my life."

"Why should I care?"

"I'm not asking you to."

"They were a threat to me! I killed them. Dami didn't try and try and take my company down after like they were trying to. I felt safe again. For many years," Her hand creeps behind her back with snail-like speed.

"So what changed?" Siyeon also reaches for the knife strapped to her thigh with equal slowness.

"I found out you were an assassin, following in your parents' footsteps. I felt...threatened."

"Threatened?" Siyeon frowns in disgust. "You tried to kill me because you felt threatened? You manipulated SuA because you felt threatened? You kidnapped Yoohyeon--"

"It was all necessary." She pushes the accusation away with a curl of her lip.

No longer able to bear staying still, Siyeon kicks off the ground and sprints for her.

Handong easily avoids and brings out her own knife as she kicks Siyeon in the ribs.

Siyeon glares at her as she takes fast breaths, tiring easily. Not ideal.

"If I kill you, my problems are over." She sounds unsure, as if trying to convince herself. With a half-spirited yell, she does a spin kick that Siyeon easily slaps away and backhands her in the face.

"They won't be. Your people are all dead. Our orders were to leave none alive. You're alone." She smiles, mirroring Handong's evil smile she had given so many times.

"Shut up!" Her hand flashes with the knife and Siyeon protects herself with her exposed forearms, letting them be slashed as she readies for attack. She shoves her knife forward and Handong does the same.

Too late, Siyeon twists her hips away and Handong's blade sinks into the flesh above her hip where her vest doesn't cover. Her own knife pierces the woman's abdomen.

They fall away from each other, distracted with their own pain.

Siyeon yanks the knife out of her side and descends on Handong with it, swinging without control in her dazed attempt to maim.

Handong's eyes flick to her midsection. For a split-second, Siyeon believes the woman will stab her but instead she instead lunges for the gun under her arm.

"No!" The power of the situation turns and Handong fires the gun. Again and again.

Though her vest protects from the worst of the impact, she feels something enter her chest.

With a pained grunt, she falls heavily to her back, the mud cold against her.

"I like to fight insubordinate assassins. Because I know I'll win. If I hadn't thought I would win, I would have run from you." Handong stands over her with the gun.

Siyeon's eyes struggle to focus on her, eyes blurring with blood and water. The sky chooses to rain.

"Fucking sadist."

She laughs and points the gun down at her.

The weapon simply clicks.

She tuts. "Out of bullets. There are other ways though."

Handong sits on Siyeon's injured body and curves her hands around her muddy throat, squeezing slowly, wanting her to suffer.

Siyeon chokes under the force around her throat, hand still grasped around the knife as her hand shakes with the effort of raising itself from the ground.

"It'll be fine." She reassures with a grin as she watches her uncomfortable expression. "Seeing your girlfriend's probably dead, you'll get to see her again soon!"

SuA.

Her name sparks Siyeon's spirit and her eyes flare with anger, arm easily able to plunge the knife through her arm.

Handong wails piercingly, letting go of her throat.

No time to let herself breath.

Siyeon uses the knife again as she sits and thrusts the knife through her chest, the same way Handong made SuA stab her.

The redemption made her lips twitch into a fitful smile as life fades from the woman.

Handong watches her blankly as she falls to the ground. "I can't lose." She says in upset alarm.

"Life's not fair." Looking away, Siyeon feels reluctant to stab her again, fearing that she would become the evil one if she attacked the already dying woman.

She had already killed so many back in the warehouse. She had already killed so many people in her life. For the simple reason of money.

Coming out of her daze, Siyeon realises Handong's eyes are closed.

She feels at her throat for a pulse, finding empty silence.

No joy springs to her, nor the expectant crushing guilt already pulling at her. She just feels...empty. And then sharp pain as her adrenaline fades away.

"SuA."

Every step an effort, she makes it back to the warehouse, where both shutters are open.

"Siyeon!" JiU cries, seeing her from inside.

"JiU..." Siyeon replies slowly and approaches SuA, lying unconscious on a stretcher. "How is she?"

JiU frowns. "Not the best, but on the better side of life. Moving as Handong stabbed her saved her. The wound is less severe than it could have been." Her hand moves to Siyeon's body armour and the dents in it.

"Handong's dead."

"I guessed that. But you should get those looked at." Her eyes find the knife wound. "Shit, Siyeon, that's bad." JiU calls for a medic as Siyeon brushes past her to SuA.

Her hand holds SuA's, disliking the limp feeling, almost making her believe SuA really was dead.

She observes her small form, wishing desperately for her to live, knowing she couldn't live in a world without her.

Her vision fades suddenly as she weakens, hearing JiU's cries.


	42. Chapter 42

"I-is she going to live?"

"Will she ever wake up?"

"Do you think she'll recognise me?"

"I can't bear to live without her."

Nature is boundless around her as she stays floating gently downwards in the blue sky padded with thick, fluffy clouds. She soon lands gently on an invisible surface, solid and cold like glass. In love with the exhilarating feeling of falling, she wills to fall through the barrier.

Answering her silent command, her body drops through, hurtling towards nothing as her eyes close and she listens to the wind rustling past her. A small smile finds its way to her lips.

"Siyeon!" An unfamiliar voice cries with such pain and loudness that Siyeon winces and clasps her skull tightly in an effort to staunch the echoing sound.

Whose voice is that?

Twisting and tumbling through the air now, her eyes dart around the blue sky for answers, seeing nothing different,

"Wake up!" The same voice screams, sounding as if she was crying.

Siyeon forces her arms out and uses her willpower to completely stop her descent as she turns to frown at the sky. "Who are you?" She questions, expression changing into shock as she realises something. "This isn't real."

As the words leave her mouth lightning flashes across the suddenly bleak sky now filled with dark, chaotic greys and blacks. Thunder rumbles in her ears, causing fear to strike through her as the paradise she so desires disappears.

Hands reaching out with force, Siyeon instructs the skies to return to the previous idyllic blue. But to no avail.

As she loses her grip on the world, Siyeon starts to plummet again, this time hurtling towards the foreboding dark sea at a dangerous speed.

Lightning flashes and seems to strike her, her chest arhing with the strike as her heart stills.

"Breathe! You can't die, Siyeon!" Her desperation only causes more panic in her stalled heart as the sea comes closer.

Again, lightning strikes, this time seeming to stimulate her heart as Siyeon gasps with the breath she doesn't realise she is holding.

Her frail body plunges into the depths.

Siyeon wakes with a small gasp and wide eyes as she stares blankly at the faces overlooking hers, seeming to smile with joy.

Were they happy for her?

"You're awake!" The familiar voice from her dreams squeals in ecstasy and she turns her pounding head tiredly to look at the recognisable woman, whose neck was encased in thick bandages.

"SuA." She smiles weakly and reaches a bandaged hand for her, which she gently holds in her small hands almost reverently.

"You died for two minutes." SuA says in a faint tone as she looks up at the nurses "Thank you all so much!"

"It's only our job." One replies before addressing Siyeon. "Right, Siyeon. We're just going to run some tests on you, check you're functioning properly."

She nods and returns her gaze to SuA, an unintentional smile taking her lips. "I missed you."

Despite her gladness at seeing SuA, Siyeon is hopelessly disorientated. She has no idea how long she's been asleep, how much time has passed, what has happened.

***

"I...have so many fucking questions." Siyeon starts once the nurses leave them alone.

SuA chuckles. "I bet you do." Her hand still holds Siyeon's and she leans against her bed, eager to be close. "Where do you want me to start?"

"Where you think is best." Her body rests back against the upright mattress, unable to lie down from the stitches across her abdomen.

"Okay, then." SuA pauses to think and her grip tightens uncomfortably as her expression tightens in remembered pain. "We can start from the warehouse. First, Handong knew you were all coming. Exact numbers."

"There was a spy in the company." Siyeon says.

"Makes sense. She took me captive, saying you would try to rescue me." Her eyes cloud with tortured memories. "See, she knew everything. She knew about each time we met, each time we talked on the phone. She knew it would hurt you if I died."

"Oh..." Siyeon murmurs empathetically. "I'm s--"

"It's not your fault, Siyeon. Don't you dare say it is." Fierceness flashes in her eyes. "It was all that woman's fault, not yours. So then, you all came."

"And she stabbed you in the freaking neck!"

"I moved." SuA hiffs. "I knew she was going to try and hurt me no matter what, so I...just shifted a little."

"Where did she hit you?" Siyeon question, the memory causing a sick feeling. "There was so much blood."

"The knife broke my right collarbone and passed straight through my body." She demonstrates with her hand. "It nicked a lung and tore a load of my muscles. It's hard to sit properly with how weak my muscles are."

"But you're alive." Siyeon beams warmly, mouth muscles quickly tiring with the expression. "How long have I been asleep?"

"I think it's been a week." SuA answers. "Thank goodness there was no brain injury, but you were hurt so badly, they weren't sure you would, you know, live."

Siyeon's eyes rove to the ceiling. "I killed that woman. When I was standing over her, I just wanted to, to hurt her again and again. Even though she was helpless to do anything against me. That feeling was awful."

"It's understandable." SuA replies evenly with a nod of understanding. "She hurt all those closest to you. Including me." She leans in, dark eyes staring closely at Siyeon. "With her gone, there's no one to take you away from me."

The room door opens and JiU comes inside, wheeling Gahyeon in front of her. "Bad time?" She jokes with a devilish grin as Gahyeon cackles at the surprised blushing girls.

"Not at all." Siyeon laughs as SuA scowls at their ruined moment. "How are you both?"

"Not bad." JiU nods. "I only suffered a few bruises and cuts from the warehouse fight. Nothing serious."

"I feel great, never better." She says with a wide grin and smiling eyes. "Though the hospital still wants to keep me here under observation."

"How much does the hospital know about us? Isn't it suspicious if a load of people come here with violent wounds?"

"The company handles that." JiU fills in. "Assassins from our company are always assigned private rooms. They pay for no questions asked, no police involved."

"Nifty. So, who's running the company?"

"It's the same Senior Assassins as before. And I'd just like to say thank you for saving me from Matthew back at the warehouse."

"That's fine." Siyeon smiles. "I just saw him and acted on instinct." She slowly stretches. "How long do I have to stay here?"

"You were shot..." Gahyeon smiles with a skeptical eyebrow raise. "I don't think you'll be leaving for a few weeks."

Siyeon rolls her eyes and groans. "I can't wait to exercise again."

***

A week later, Siyeon was still in hospital. It took a lot out of her to even be able to walk a short distance, what with how her stitches force her to walk with a hunch.

She scowls from her low position in the wheelchair. "You're taller than me for once."

SuA bounces along as she pushes Siyeon. "I know, right? This feeling is wonderful."

"I'll be taller than you soon."

"When you can finally stop walking like an old person." SuA retorts.

Siyeon crosses her arms as SuA walks to her into a lift and presses the button for the top floor. "Where are you taking me?"

"Secret."

"It's the roof, isn't it?" Siyeon turns, then winces as her stitches stretch and she curls over in pain. "Just imagine I'm smirking at you right now."

SuA snorts in sarcastic laughter. "Alright, yes I am."

"Is there a lift to the rooftop? I wouldn't say you're up to the task of lugging me and this hunk of metal up some stairs."

"Alright, alright." SuA crouches in front of her, a hand on her knee. "I asked a couple of people to do me a favour and carry you to the roof. Then when we're done, I'll call them to bring you back down."

"Who?"

The lift doors slide open and SuA moves out of the way to reveal none other than JiU and Yoohyeon.

Siyeon blinks at them in surprise. "Ummm...what are you two doing here?"

"We're your chauffeurs?" Yoohyeon replies with a confused shrug.

"Pleased to serve." JiU bows formally with a dimpled smile and bright eyes.

"Er..." Siyeon continues to buffer as SuA pushes her out of the lift. "When SuA said chauffeurs, I thought it would be some buff assassin dudes she'd roped into helping."

"We're strong enough." Yoohyeon pouts in mock offence as she brandishes a tensed arm. "Besides, SuA's too shy for that kind of stuff."

"What are you implying?" SuA shook a mock angry fist and broke off with a smile. "But I'd rather ask friends to help my invalid girlfriend than just some random guy I'd 'roped in'."

"Good point." Siyeon concedes and looks up at the girls. "How are we going to do this?"

The two women stand opposite each other, holding Siyeon between them like a child in their long arms as she loops her own arms around their shoulders.

"I didn't think you'd be strong enough to lift me." Siyeon smiles at Yoohyeon, feeling odd that she is so close to her after so long.

At the dark rooftop, the women lower Siyeon into an obviously-prepared muted red lounger gently as she tries to relax against the pain each movement causes her stitches.

Once the two giggling women disappear, SuA reclines on the lounger next to Siyeon, expression lit by the soft moonlight. "Are you warm?"

"It's night time, I think you know the answer." Siyeon eyes the blankets on the ground beside SuA with a lazy grin. "Come wrap me up."

SuA smiles and unwraps the blanket to lay it across them both. It's early morning, so the sun is soon to rise.

"You've really planned this." Siyeon tells her in an impressed tone. "Blankets, loungers, rooftop, an approaching sunrise. What's missing?"

SuA snuggles closer gently, clearly anxious about causing her too much discomfort. "I wanted something special for you."

"What's the occasion?" Siyeon plays along with a relaxed smile as her head turns to SuA and her hand sneaks under the blanket to hold SuA's.

"A declaration of my undying love." She says with a deadpan face and winks before flushing red. "I didn't mean to wink!"

"Just like I did all that time ago." Siyeon remembers with a fond look. "God, I hated you."

"I hated you." SuA replies. "You were a spoilt bitch."

"You were an egoistic brat."

They laugh, the sounds mingling.

"And still we ended up here." There is a wistful smile on SuA's face as she looks out to the dark sky and the orange starting to permeate through. "Isn't that funny?"

"Yup. It took me too long to realise I loved you." Siyeon flushes too as she remembers Yoohyeon. "But as you say, we're here. And we're still alive."

SuA's thumb strokes her knuckles and takes the chance to plant a shy kiss against her cold cheek. "How many times can I say I love you?"

"Pfft!" Siyeon grins at the cringe of the line, but her heart warms with happiness knowing that SuA is telling no lies. "As much as you need to."

"Hopeless romantic." SuA mutters and blushes deeper, lying against her shoulder.

Siyeon nods slowly, relaxing back against the lounger as her eyes track the deepening orange sky. Her breaths come in sync with SuA's as they share heat and support.

When the blue in the sky starts to lighten, SuA shifts away from Siyeon.

"Comfortable?" She asks in concern.

"Yeah. I, er. I just want to know," SuA sits straight and turns her body to face her. "What are you going to do in the future?"

"Apart from spending my life with you?" One look at SuA's expression tells her she should take the question more seriously. "You mean, assassination?"

"Yeah."

"I think," She casts her mind back to Dami's long-ago wise words. "I'm going to finish my education before I really look seriously into this. Live life away from here for a bit, you know? Freer."

Though Siyeon takes pride in her job, it is true that it consumes her life. Too often, she's been late for school or skipped classes for the sake of assassination. And Siyeon is still young with a life ahead of her. She doesn't feel ready to tie her life to assassination.

"Then university?"

"If I'm smart enough. You?"

"Assassination became hard for me after the death of my family." SuA says, clearly having given much thought already to the question. "And the morality of it always made me hesitate."

"I know what you mean. I was happy enough to take this on because this was my parents' job. I told myself that if they killed people for their job, it was the right thing to do."

"I get you. Perhaps I could take a role in Kim & Lee other than assassination."

"That's certainly an idea. Imagine you trying to train newbies!" Siyeon laughs to ease the seriousness and bring the smile she loves back onto SuA's worried face. "I remember you only won the combat test because you fought dirty."

"Nothing in the rules about spitting." She smiles wryly. "But we'll sort it out. I know we can. There's a solution we'll both be happy with."

"Agreed." Siyeon gently pulls SuA in for a kiss, not able to move too much herself. Their lips meet cautiously, soon becoming more confident as SuA pushes into the kiss, one hand holding her steady on Siyeon's lounger, the other snaking around her neck.

There is a moment when all they do is breath against each other, eyes staring unfocused into each other's. In the next, they kiss again as the sun rises in the background, casting a golden light over the women.

"I love you." Siyeon tells her sincerely as she cups the other's face in her warm hands.

"I love you too." She tells her, the smile genuine as her eyes sparkle with tears.

"Why are you crying?" Siyeon half-smiles, wiping them away with her thumbs.

"Because I don't want to ever lose you again." SuA grins wanly and settles beside her again slowly, eyes never leaving hers.


End file.
